Friday, January 24, 2014

Update: House Expected to Vote on H.R. 7 During the Week of January 27

The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 7) during the week of January 27. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) made this announcement at the March for Life Rally on the Mall in Washington, D.C. 

Here is background information on this important measure:
 
  • The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act would place in permanent law a consistent policy that the federal government should not use tax dollars to support or promote elective abortion. Since 1976 this principle has been embodied in the Hyde amendment to annual appropriations bills funding the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and in numerous similar provisions governing a wide range of domestic and foreign programs. There has long been popular and congressional agreement in favor of this policy.
  • It is often assumed that the consensus against public funding of abortion is already fully implemented. In recent testimony, Richard Doerflinger, Associate Director of the Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, stated, "The fact is that Congress's policy has been remarkably consistent for decades, but the implementation of that policy in practice has been piecemeal, confusing and sometimes sadly inadequate." The current patchwork approach to implementation has time and again left loopholes that then needed to be addressed. Most recently, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) "contains at least four different policies on this issue," and developments since enactment reveal ways "it allows expanded federal support for abortion, if not corrected by later legislation." H.R. 7 would address these problems. 
Use the link provided below to find your Representative and send them the following message:
"Please vote for the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, H.R. 7. Our tax dollars should not be used to fund or promote abortion."

Use this link to find your Representative


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