Congressman Bob Goodlatte’s Weekly Column: January 27, 2017
Protecting Life | By Congressman Bob Goodlatte
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Washington, DC (Jan. 27, 2017) - Few issues draw more passionate debate than that of protecting the sanctity of life. Yet most will agree that there is no greater or more precious gift than life. Life is a right that I am proud to stand in strong support of every day, and it is a right that must be fervently protected.
However stark Americans’ differences of opinion may be on the matter of abortion, generally even here there has been long, bipartisan agreement that federal taxpayer funds should not be used to fund this practice. The Hyde Amendment, named for former House Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry Hyde, has prohibited the federal funding of abortions since 1976, when it passed a Democrat-controlled House and Senate. It has been renewed with few changes for over 40 years, supported by Congresses controlled by both parties and Presidents from both parties. The Hyde Amendment is probably the most bipartisan pro-life proposal, sustained over a longer period of time, than any other. It’s time that the Hyde Amendment was made permanent.
A bill passed with bipartisan support by the House of Representatives a few days ago would do just that. H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, which I supported, would make certain provisions of the Hyde Amendment permanent. This bill would permanently prevent federal taxpayer dollars from subsidizing abortion and places a ban on the use of federal funds for health care benefits that include coverage of abortion.
During the time the Hyde Amendment has been in place, the most reliable estimates, and those of the Congressional Budget Office, have found that millions of innocent children have been spared the horrors of abortion. Millions of lives have been saved. I commend President Trump for already reinstating the Mexico City policy, which prohibits the United States government’s funding of abortion overseas, and I look forward to his signing the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act into law, thereby providing a similar life-saving policy here in America.
The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act is more than a proposed law. It is a welcome step forward in bringing about a renewed culture of life in America. I remain committed to working in the House of Representatives to protect the sanctity of life. We must continue to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. | | | | | |
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