Educational Resource
Healthcare Reform: Capps Amendment to HR 3962
Myths and Facts: The Capps Amendment to H.R. 3962
On October 6, Reps. Mike Doyle (D-PA), Lois Capps (D-CA) and other supporters of the Capps amendment wrote to Democratic colleagues to claim that their amendment, now included in the House’s health care reform bill (H.R. 3962), offers a valid “compromise” that reflects current laws against federal abortion funding such as the Hyde amendment.
However, the authors’ claim rests on myths or demonstrably false claims about the amendment and about current law. Some descriptions of the Capps amendment by the authors are actually accurate descriptions of the Stupak amendment supported by pro-life organizations, which the authors have opposed. The Capps amendment, crafted by members of Congress who have long opposed the Hyde amendment and other restrictions on federal abortion funding, marks a very significant shift away from longstanding current policies and toward government support of abortion.