It was anticipated that there would be a concerted effort to make those who oppose abortion pay for it.
As the Memorial Day weekend commenced, President Biden unveiled his proposed budget for the 2022 fiscal year. He is requesting that Congress approve a budget that removes the Hyde Amendment language, thereby authorizing the use of taxpayer funds to pay for abortions. Prior to the enactment of the Hyde Amendment, federal funds, predominantly from Medicaid, were used to pay for approximately 300,000 abortions annually.
How were we able to anticipate the imminent release of such a budget? In 2019, once it became apparent that Biden’s prospects of winning the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination were slim if he did not adopt a more accommodating stance, he demonstrated a willingness to compromise on the issue of abortion. He reversed his long-standing position as a senator who had consistently opposed taxpayer funding of abortion. Biden and the abortion industry were now in alignment.
In contrast, in 1977, then-Senator Biden wrote an open letter to his Delaware constituents, stating that he had consistently opposed the use of federal funds to pay for abortion, with the exception of cases where the life of the mother was in danger.
Over the years, the pro-life movement has experienced periods of growth and decline. The United States has experienced periods of pro-life and pro-abortion presidencies. The composition of the Congress of the United States has fluctuated between Republican and Democratic control. One constant remained throughout this period: the Hyde Amendment remained in place.
The reason for this is that a significant proportion of the American population is opposed to the use of tax dollars to fund the termination of pregnancies. This is despite the fact that even members of the Democratic Party, who are traditionally more supportive of abortion rights, have expressed their disapproval.
However, the abortion industry and the leadership of the Democratic Party have recently been more open about their intentions. They have openly stated that they want to remove all restrictions on abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy, and that they want to do this at the expense of taxpayers. The unborn child is to be treated as a tumour, and any laws that provide some safeguards for women seeking an abortion must be repealed.
The damage that the Biden budget would inflict is not limited to the Medicaid programme, the initial intent of the Hyde Amendment. For your information, I am including a summary from the office of pro-life Senator Steve Daines (R-MT). Sen. Daines chairs the Senate Pro-Life Caucus. This is the most comprehensive analysis I have encountered of the manner in which the Biden budget would dismantle over four decades of anti-funding protections for babies and taxpayers.
As you may have observed, President Biden’s FY22 budget calls for the elimination of the Hyde Amendment (pg. 807), which would permit taxpayer funding for abortion on demand through Medicaid, Medicare disability, and other programs funded under the Labor/Health & Human Services appropriations bill.
The Hyde Amendment has been estimated to have saved over 2.4 million lives since its inception in 1976, with an annual saving of over 60,000 lives in the United States. A 2021 Marist/Knights of Columbus poll revealed that nearly six in ten Americans oppose the use of tax dollars to fund abortions.
Other pro-abortion provisions in the FY22 budget proposed by Biden include:
- The Dornan Amendment (pg. 1272) is eliminated, which would permit the District of Columbia to fund abortions through its Medicaid program. When the Dornan Amendment was last substantially revised in FY2010, the District of Columbia funded approximately 300 abortions through Medicaid.
- The Aderholt Amendment (pg. 188) is also eliminated, which would lift the federal ban on gestating gene-edited embryos, such as three-parent embryos.
- A 19% increase in funding for the Title X family planning programme was approved, amounting to $53.521 million, up from $286.479 million (pg. 438). Once the Biden administration finalises its new Title X rules, this funding will be made available to Planned Parenthood and other entities within the abortion industry. During the election campaign, Biden pledged that the public option would provide for abortion on demand.
- Furthermore, calls have been made for the expanded Obamacare premium tax credits (which subsidise abortion coverage) to be made permanent under the American Rescue Plan Act, as well as for the creation of a so-called “public option” for a government-run health insurance plan offered through the Obamacare exchanges. (pg. 24) During the course of his campaign, Biden made a commitment that any public option would cover abortion on demand.
- The funding floor earmark for international family planning/reproductive health has been increased by $8.7 million to $583.7 million from $575 million (pg. 916). This represents a slush fund for international pro-abortion organisations, including International Planned Parenthood and Marie Stopes International, which have been able to receive these funds due to Biden’s rescission of Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance.
- A 72% increase in funding for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) by $23.5 million to $56 million from $32.5 million (pg. 125 of State Dept request) has been proposed. The UNFPA is known to promote abortions around the world and to support China’s forced abortion and sterilisation regime.
- The legislation eliminates conditions on U.S. funds to the UNFPA, including requirements that the UNFPA not fund abortions and that funds not be directly used for country programs in China (pg. 916).
- The legislation also adds a sweeping notwithstanding authority for funding “to promote gender equality” overseas, which would bypass the Helms Amendment and Siljander Amendments, potentially allowing taxpayer funding for abortion or abortion lobbying overseas (pg. 916).
- The bill eliminates the application of the Helms Amendment to the Complex Crises Fund (pg. 832), which could allow those funds to be used to pay for abortions.
- The bill also eliminates provisions removing time limitations on embryo storage for IVF procedures funded by the Department of Defense (pg. 329).
It is likely that a significant proportion of the general public, including many of our friends and neighbours, may support abortion, but nevertheless oppose the use of their tax dollars for this purpose. It would be beneficial to engage in discourse with them. It is necessary to educate them. Furthermore, it is recommended that they contact their respective U.S. Senators and Representatives. It is clear that all of our pro-life friends and neighbours must be motivated to act.
It is imperative that our voices be heard in Washington. Should the Hyde language not be reinstated in the budget, the budget must be rejected.
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
