Yesterday the US House voted 238-183 to pass H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. The bill would permanently ban federal dollars from paying for abortion-on-demand. The Hyde Amendment, which bans the use of federal funds to directly pay for most abortions, has been debated yearly on the floor of the House to be included in the annual appropriations bills since 1976. H.R. 7 would make Hyde a permanent and government-wide law.
The Hyde Amendment went to the Supreme Court in 1980 with the case Harris v. McRae. The ruling held that the funding restrictions created in Hyde did not violate the Constitution. It also said that those who participated in Medicaid were not required to fund abortions.
With the passage of Obamacare in 2010, there was a new threat of taxpayer funded abortions. Under Obamacare, federal tax subsidies were created to assist millions of Americans' purchase private health plans, even ones that cover abortion. H.R. 7 would not allow those plans that cover abortions to qualify for federal subsidies. Michigan opted-out of abortion insurance plans through Obamacare in 2013, but many states have not.
Rep. Bill Huizenga's statement in support of H.R. 7
Rep. Tim Walberg's statement in support of H.R. 7
Rep. John Moolenaar's floor speech in support of H.R. 7:
