Washington, DC – Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3, the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act” with a vote of 251to175.  She released the following statement regarding the passage of the bill:

“Once again, this Republican led Congress has continued its blatant attack on reproductive rights.  Rather than focusing on creating jobs, this Congress wants to cripple and redefine how women with private insurance can spend their private dollars,” stated Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke.  “It is clear that Republicans are over stepping their boundaries when it comes to governing how women access healthcare and the misleading nature of the title of H.R. 3, ‘the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act’ is an insult to the intelligence of the American people.”

Already enacted during the appropriations process, the Hyde Amendment prohibits federal funding of abortion, except in the cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother.

            H.R. 3, if enacted into law will;

            • prohibit small business employers from accessing new small business tax 
                 credits created under the Affordable Care Act to provide employee health coverage 
                 if the coverage includes abortion services;

            • stop families in the Health Insurance Exchanges from receiving a premium assistance 
                 tax credit if they have enrolled in a health plan that covers abortion;

            • place some restrictions on those using Health Saving Accounts( HSAs) and other
                 similar tax-exempt accounts, and on those itemizing deductions for medical 
                 expenses, which will result in tax increases for some women;  as well as 

            • prohibit Washington, D.C. from using its own Medicaid funds to provide abortion.

 
“It is shameful that as we move into the mother’s day weekend, Congress has decided to undermine women’s access to reproductive rights.  The women across this nation deserve much better than that.  They deserve access to the reproductive health tools that their own private insurance provides without the government getting involved.  It is time to refocus our efforts in ensuring that we bolster job creation and our nations continued economic recovery,” concluded Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke.

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