Answers to Common Attacks against the Hyde Amendment

Beginning in 1976, the Hyde amendment and similar measures have prevented the federal government from forcing pro-life Americans to support abortion with their tax dollars. Now the 44-year-long bipartisan consensus on this issue is under attack.  

Pro-abortion groups are campaigning to rescind Hyde, and to make this policy reversal permanent through the so-called “EACH Woman” Act (Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act, S. 758/H.R. 1692). This extreme measure would require every federal health program to cover, and every federal health facility to provide, elective abortions. It would even nullify state and local policies against abortion coverage, rescinding the compromise policy agreed to by President Obama and congressional Democrats in the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (42 USC §18023).

This campaign uses claims developed by public relations strategists to overcome widespread public objections to publicly funded abortion. Here are those claims with a response.

Answers to Common Attacks against the Hyde Amendment