Repeal of Hyde Amendment Could Spike Abortions

Pro-life supporters fear that repeal of the Hyde Amendment, a cornerstone of President Joe Biden’s federal budget proposal, will spark a dramatic increase in the number of abortions nationwide.

In the budget he recently submitted to Congress on May 28, Biden is calling to eliminate the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federally funded abortions, exceptions being rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. Estimates are the amendment, which has had bi-partisan support since its inception in 1976, has saved the lives of 2.4 million babies.

The proposal comes at a time when the U.S. Supreme Court is likely to hear two cases that could potentially lead to overturning Roe v Wade.

“The primary consequences are that abortions would presumably increase significantly,” said Darryl Ducote, director of the Office of Marriage and Family Life for the Diocese in Baton Rouge. 

Biden, a lifelong Catholic, has previously supported the Hyde Amendment but during his presidential campaign and with increasing pressure from some Democrats, Biden has vowed its elimination.

Ducote said he is not completely surprised because of a shift in modern culture.

“There seems to be a concerted effort to get the public to accept certain lifestyles and principles that have not been accepted in the past,” Ducote said. “It’s almost as though we are being conditioned to accept things that go against some very important principles we have held for years. And abortion is one of those things we are being conditioned to accept as normal.”
 

“I call on all government leaders to work toward a budget that truly builds up the
common good of all.” 

Archbishop Joseph Naumann

He is particularly troubled by proponents casting elimination of the amendment in terms of health care, claiming low income families are being deprived of a form of health care.

“Pregnancy is not a disease,” he said. “From a Christian perspective this is not health care.

“And the flip side is Medicare does provide medical services for pregnant women to help them through their pregnancy. That is health care.”

He is alarmed if the Hyde Amendment is eliminated, taxpayer dollars will be used to fund abortions.

“It violates one of our basic principles as Christians that God is the author of life and that life is to be preserved,” he said. 

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, chairman of the U.S. Conference Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, also expressed his concerns. He has petitioned Congress to reject the administration’s proposal to what he said would “subsidize the deaths of unborn children.”

“I call on all government leaders to work toward a budget that truly builds up the common good of all,” Archbishop Naumann said in a statement. “This should include many proposals in the president’s budget submission that seek to protect vulnerable people and it must also preserve the Hyde Amendment and related provisions which have protected millions of unborn babies, mothers in difficult circumstances, from the tragedy of abortion.”

He also criticized the use of taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions, saying the resources could be used in a more effective manner, including supporting mothers. 

“Taxpayer-funded abortion represents a failure to serve women in their maternity by funding despair and death instead of hope and life,” Archbishop Naumann said. “These resources would be far better spent supporting women in crisis pregnancies and struggling new mothers so that no woman ever feels economic pressure to have an abortion.”

Archbishop Naumann is encouraging people to sign a petition urging support of the Hyde Amendment. That petition can be found by visiting NoTaxpayerAbortion.com.