House passes ‘No Taxpayer Funding For Abortion Act’
January 30, 2014
In a 227-188 vote, the US House of Representatives has passed the No Taxpayer Funding For Abortion Act.
Expressing his support for the legislation, Cardinal Seán O’Malley of Boston, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, said that the bill “is modest legislation. It will write into permanent law a policy on which there has been strong popular and congressional agreement for over 37 years: The federal government should not use its funding power to support and promote elective abortion, and should not force taxpayers to subsidize this violence.”
Previous legislation has “not prevented the Affordable Care Act of 2010 from subsidizing health plans that cover elective abortions, contrary to the policy of every other federal program,” he added. “H.R. 7 would end this glaring contradiction in federal law, and establish a policy for future health programs so they can be debated on their merits – instead of being marred by a divisive debate on abortion.”
Passage of the legislation is far less likely in the Senate; if passed there, it would face the prospect of a presidential veto.
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Further information:
- House Passes Bill to Completely Ban Taxpayer Funding of Abortions (LifeNews.com)
- House OKs bill barring federal funds for abortion (AP)
- Cardinal O’Malley Urges Congress to Support the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (USCCB)
- USCCB backs ‘No Taxpayer Funding For Abortion Act’ (CWN, 1/14)
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