WASHINGTON (CNS) – South Jersey Catholics are again being urged to contact their legislators after the U.S. House refused to include the Hyde Amendment and other pro-life legislation in a package of appropriation bills.
“The House has voted in a way that is completely out of step with the will of the American people who overwhelmingly oppose taxpayer-funded abortion,” said Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Religious Liberty, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities.
Late July 29, the House voted 219 to 208 in favor of H.R. 4502, a package of appropriations bills that currently exclude the Hyde, Weldon and Helms amendments and other longstanding, bipartisan-supported pro-life language.
The Hyde Amendment, first enacted with strong bipartisan support 45 years ago, outlaws federal tax dollars from directly funding abortion except in cases of rape, incest or when the life of the woman would be endangered. Until this year, Hyde has been reauthorized every year since 1976.
Congress must reauthorize the Hyde Amendment annually as an attachment to the appropriations bill for the Department of Health and Human Services.
To make their voices heard, voters can visit the New Jersey Catholic Conference website at njcatholic.org/protecting-the-hyde-amendment. The link also provides information and a toolkit about the Hyde Amendment and other pro-life issues to help the faithful raise awareness in their communities. You can sign the petition here: www.notaxpayerabortion.com
“Powerful members of Congress want to take away this law that both Democrats and Republicans have supported for nearly half a century. Without it, billions of taxpayer dollars could go to abortion. That means abortions would be cheaper, easier, and funded with our taxpayer dollars,” Bishop Dennis Sullivan wrote in a letter to the Diocese of Camden’s faithful in May.
“It is critically important for Catholics to send a strong message before Congress moves forward to impose taxpayer-funded abortion. Because of the incredibly high stakes, Congress needs to hear from a massive number of people,” he said.
According to statistics, the Hyde Amendment has saved at least 2.4 million lives since its enactment.
“Without it, millions of poor women in desperate circumstances will make the irrevocable decision to take the government up on its offer to end the life of their child,” Cardinal Dolan and Archbishop Naumann said in their statement.
The now-approved package of spending bills “includes provisions that help vulnerable people, including pregnant moms,” they acknowledged, but “as we have said before, ‘being “right” in such matters can never excuse a wrong choice regarding direct attacks on innocent human life.’”
H.R. 4502 covers spending for Agriculture; Energy and Water Development; Financial Services and General Government; Interior, Environment and related agencies, Labor, Health and Human Services and Education; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and related agencies; and Transportation and Housing and Urban Development.
Catholic Star Herald staff reports contributed to this article.
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