Press Releases

Rep. Loudermilk (R-GA) issued the following statement after supporting pro-life legislation that permanently stops taxpayers from being forced to pay for abortions:

“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are rights our founders understood were granted by God and protected by government. Life, according to the founders, is the most basic of all rights - and it is a responsibility of the government to protect it from its very beginning. Without protection of this basic right, innocent unborn children may never breathe their first breath outside their mother’s womb, much less experience their right to liberty or the pursuit of happiness.

“For years, Republicans have added to every spending bill a provision, known as the Hyde Amendment, prohibiting federal funds from being used to pay for abortions. Today, we passed a bill that will make this temporary amendment permanent policy of the federal government. While this legislation will not bring an end to elective abortions, it will ensure that taxpayers will not be forced to fund them.”

Background

The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortions Act, H.R. 7, codifies the Hyde Amendment, which protects taxpayer dollars from being used to fund abortions. Traditionally, the Hyde Amendment only applied to funds appropriated in the Health and Human Services spending bill, but this legislation makes the amendment permanent, and applies to all government agencies, not just a few.