On July 29, the House voted 219 to 208 in favor of H.R. 4502, a package of appropriations bills that currently excludes the 46-year-old Hyde Amendment and other longstanding, bipartisan provisions like the Weldon Amendment. Eliminating these provisions would force taxpayers to pay for elective abortions and would have the effect of forcing health care providers and professionals to perform and refer for abortion against their deeply-held beliefs, as well as forcing employers and insurers to cover and pay for abortion. The U.S. Bishops’ Chairmen “call on the Senate to redress this evil in H.R. 4502, and for Congress to ultimately pass appropriations bills that fully support and protect human dignity, and the most vulnerable among us.”
The Hyde Amendment, legislation which bans federal funding of elective abortions, has had a life-saving, conscience-protecting impact for the past 45 years. It is estimated that over 2.4 million children are alive now due to the Hyde Amendment.
Read Bishop Walkowiak’s letter to parishioners:
Despite longstanding, bipartisan support for the amendment, and overwhelming public support as well, the amendment is in great danger of being repealed. Pro-abortion groups and certain elected officials have been campaigning to rescind the Hyde Amendment and to instead implement a policy that would require every federal health program to cover, and every federal health facility to provide, elective abortions. New policy could go as far as to nullify state and local policies against abortion coverage, rescinding the compromise policy agreed to by President Obama and Congressional Democrats in the Affordable Care Act of 2010.
Update: July 30, 2021 – U.S. Bishops’ Chairmen Respond to House Vote to Force Taxpayers to Fund Abortion Overseas
Update: July 29, 2021 – U.S. Bishops’ Chairmen Respond to House Vote to Force Taxpayers to Fund Elective Abortions
Update: July 13, 2021 – Bishop Chairmen respond to extreme abortion push in appropriations bill
Update: June 23, 2021 – USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities on “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act”
The Time for Action is Now!
It is critically important for Catholics and people of goodwill to take action to save the federal Hyde Amendment and help prevent Congress from moving forward to impose taxpayer-funded abortion.
Visit the No Taxpayer Abortion website:
Learn More | Sign the online petition to Congress
Additional Resources:
From the Michigan Catholic Conference
From the USCCB’s Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities
Read Bishops urge Catholics to sign petition against Hyde Amendment repeal (May 12, 2021, Catholic News Service)
