On the eve of the March for Life, and in the face of aggressive pro-abortion moves by the U.S. House of Representatives, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has countered by filing a motion to proceed to a cloture vote on a bill that will make long-standing abortion funding restrictions into permanent law.
According to the Susan B. Anthony List, an organization dedicated to promoting the election of pro-life politicians, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2019 (S. 109) is now set to come to a vote for the first time in the U.S. Senate. This act will make the long-standing Hyde Amendment, an abortion funding restriction that has to be voted on every year, into permanent law.
Co-sponsored by Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS), James Lankford (R-OK), and Pat Roberts (R-KS), the legislation establishes a permanent, government-wide prohibition on federal funding for abortion, prohibits federal subsidies in the form of Obamacare tax credits for health plans that include abortion, and strengthens disclosure requirements for plans that include abortion.
With recent polls finding 75 percent Americans from all parties in favor of prohibiting taxpayer funds for abortion both at home and abroad, Senator McConnell’s call for a cloture vote is sending a strong signal to pro-abortion legislators that he’s ready for a showdown.
The cloture process essentially limits debate on a bill and establishes a 30-hour window before a final vote must be held. This eliminates the ability of opposing lawmakers to filibuster and thus delay a vote.
McConnell’s motion comes as House Democrats have vowed to repeal the Hyde Amendment and the Global Protect Life Policy which prevents taxpayer dollars from being used to support foreign groups that perform or promote abortion overseas.
Pro-life leaders are applauding the move.
“The Pelosi-led pro-abortion House has made clear they will try to force taxpayers to pay for abortions by repealing the Hyde Amendment,” said SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser. “By voting on the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, the pro-life majority in the Senate is showing they’ll be a brick wall when it comes to trying to force taxpayers to pay for abortion on demand.”
She continued: “The Hyde Amendment has saved over two million lives since 1976. If pro-abortion politicians had their way, these millions of Americans and future generations would not be walking around. We are grateful to Leader McConnell and the pro-life Senate majority for standing strong with the majority of Americans who reject taxpayer funding of abortion.”
Family Research Council (FRC) president Tony Perkins agrees: “Common ground is often difficult to achieve in Washington. However, the issue of taxpayer funding abortion has brought bipartisan agreement for more than four decades. Ensuring Americans aren’t forced to pay for elective abortions is the common ground on abortion in America. . . It’s time this long-time consensus be solidified into statutory law.
He added: “In contrast, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s effort to topple the wall between taxpayers and the abortion industry is just another example of how out of touch her party is with most Americans.”
Now is the time to contact your senators as ask them to vote for this commonsense legislation!
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