General
Abortion: Hyde/Weldon Conscience Protection Amendment (2005)
The Hyde/Weldon Conscience Protection Amendment: Relationship to Federal Family Planning Guidelines, April 19, 2005
"In a November 19, 2004 letter opposing the Hyde/Weldon amendment, the American Civil Liberties Union claimed: "Title X, which provides federal funds for contraceptive services for low-income individuals, requires that grantees provide a referral to a qualified abortion provider upon request as part of non-directive options counseling. The Weldon Amendment would prohibit the federal government from enforcing this regulation ... The bill would thus undermine federal standards and compromise the health of low-income pregnant women by denying them critical information."
Despite this misleading charge, Congress enacted the Hyde/Weldon amendment into law at the end of 2004. Because the amendment is under renewed attack in 2005, it is important to review the facts."