Critical Pro Life vote pending

By Fr. Dan Carr for the Catholic Accent

On Monday, July 26, the U.S. House of Representatives will begin voting on the annual appropriations legislation for the federal budget.  For 45 years these appropriations have included the Hyde Amendment – a bipartisan provision that prohibits federal funding of domestic abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother.

Currently as drafted, the budget proposal does not include the Hyde Amendment, which would allow millions, if not billions, of tax dollars to fund abortions in the coming year.

• The Hyde Amendment has been signed into law every year since 1976 by both Republican-led and Democrat-led Congresses.
• It is estimated that the Hyde Amendment has saved 2.4 million lives during that time.
• A majority of Americans agree that tax dollars should not pay for abortion, according to a Slate poll in 2019.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Archbishop Joseph Naumann, the USCCB chairmen for Religious Liberty and Pro-Life Activities respectively, have issued the following statement:

This is the most extreme pro-abortion appropriations bill that we have seen, effectively mandating healthcare professionals to participate in abortion, and forcing American citizens to pay for abortion with their tax dollars. By eliminating the Hyde Amendment, and other Hyde-like policies, the financial fruits of Americans’ labor would advance the destruction of the smallest, most vulnerable humans. Eliminating the Weldon Amendment would be an egregious violation of conscience rights by forcing individuals and entities to perform, pay for, or otherwise participate in an abortion against their beliefs. Abortion is not healthcare nor a ‘human service’ to anyone. Rather, abortion is inhumane. It is a painful death to an innocent baby, and often leaves women physically harmed and emotionally devastated.

We implore the House Committee on Appropriations to reverse course on these bills that currently expand taxpayer funding of abortion, and to restore the longstanding, bipartisan Hyde provisions and Weldon Amendment that have saved millions of lives and protected conscience rights. These bills include many other provisions and funding for critically-needed services that we support. Americans’ tax dollars should be used for the common good and welfare of all, not to finance abortion or force Americans to violate deeply-held beliefs.

Further, we ask all Catholics and all people of good will to contact their legislators and make their voices heard. The lives of millions of vulnerable children, and the well-being of their mothers, depend on our advocacy.

The USCCB has created a website to make it easy for voices to be heard.  At www.notaxpayerabortion.com, you can find out more information, sign the petition, and easily send a message to your legislators.

The USCCB has also created a video to share the message easily on social media:  https://www.facebook.com/usccbrespectlife/videos/342272257528603/