Last year, the Democratic-controlled House approved spending measures without Hyde and other pro-life protections. Spending proposals offered by the Senate’s Democratic leadership also excluded the policies. In addition, President Biden’s budget proposal failed to include the abortion-funding bans.
Congress was unable to pass a final budget for the 2022 fiscal year without the pro-life riders, and Biden finally signed into law an omnibus bill in March of this year that included the protections.
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In addition to Hyde, the other pro-life riders the ERLC urged congressional leaders to approve in final spending legislation include the:
— Weldon Amendment, which has barred since 2004 funding for government programs that discriminate against health-care individuals or institutions that object to abortion.
— Helms Amendment, a rider first approved in 1973 prohibits foreign aid funds from being used for abortion as a method of family planning.
— Dornan Amendment, which was first adopted in 1988 and has barred in most of the years since federal and congressionally approved local funds from paying for abortions in the District of Columbia.
— Smith Amendment, which has barred in nearly every year since 1984 federal employee health plans from paying for abortions.
In its 14-page explanation of concerns, the ERLC also objected to provisions that weaken or ignore the Kemp-Kasten Amendment, a 1985 measure that bans overseas family planning money from going to any organization that is involved in a program of forced abortion or sterilization.
In addition, the commission protested a prohibition on reinstituting the Mexico City Policy, first instituted by President Reagan in 1984. Biden rescinded the policy, which bars organizations from receiving federal funds unless they agree not to perform or promote abortions internationally.
The ERLC also opposed a ban on funds from the Department of Health and Human Services for faith-based organizations, such as adoption and foster-care agencies, that decline to provide services to same-sex couples based on their religious convictions.
Among other concerns raised by the ERLC are the:
— Funding of additional research “promoting further adoption” of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer agenda.
— Mandate under the Title X family planning program that recipients offer abortion counseling and referrals.
— Requirement of federal prisons to transport pregnant inmates to abortion clinics.
Leatherwood’s letter and the document compiled by ERLC staff also went to the Democratic and GOP leadership of the Appropriations Committee in each chamber.
This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.
