Penna Dexter

Election battles have not delayed the rollout of the left’s agenda on abortion. Last week a hearing before a subcommittee of the powerful House Appropriations Committee considered a repeal of the Hyde Amendment.

The title of the hearing was “The Impact on Women Seeking an Abortion but are Denied Because of an Inability to Pay.” The Hyde Amendment, which has been renewed annually since 1976, protects taxpayers from being required to foot the bill for most abortions. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, incoming Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, calls the Hyde Amendment “discriminatory policy” and an “issue of racial injustice.” Going forward, she does not plan to incorporate it into appropriations bills.

Most Americans, even those who support legal abortion, do not think taxpayers should have to pay for it — for poor women or anyone.  “They don’t want the blood of millions of abortion victims on their hands,” says Father Frank Pavone, head of Priests for Life.

It’s estimated that the Hyde Amendment has saved 2.4 million lives, recently — about 60,000 per year.

As Family Research Council points out, our tax dollars prop up the abortion industry. There’s a bill to stop this: the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. If it ever becomes law, we won’t need a Hyde Amendment. Until then, pro-lifers will have to fight hard to protect it.

What else does the Left have planned to expand access to abortion?

They want to reinstate taxpayer funding to groups that promote abortion overseas. This is called the Mexico City policy. With its repeal, America will again become the world’s top exporter of abortion.

The pro-abortion Left plans to restore Title X Family Planning funding to Planned Parenthood, and to deny it to pro-life pregnancy centers. They plan to scrutinize and reject pro-life laws states pass. They want to roll back safety standards for chemical abortion drugs.

Prolifers must remain vigilant and seize every opportunity to pass legislation to block this abortion extremism.