By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
January 24, 2017, the US House of Representatives passed HR7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2017.
US Representative Bradley Byrne (R-Montrose) said, “Today, the House of Representatives voted in support of strong, pro-life legislation to permanently ban taxpayer funding for abortion. As thousands prepare to travel to Washington, DC to march in support of the right to life, it is only appropriate for the House to pass this pro-life legislation this week. Regardless of where you fall in the abortion debate, we should all be able to agree that taxpayer money should not be used to perform abortions.”
US Representative Martha Roby (R-Montgomery) said, “Since the infamous Roe v. Wade decision 44 years ago, nearly 60 million unborn children in this country have had their lives ended by abortion. I believe in order to build a culture that truly values life, we must assign better, stronger protections for unborn children under the law.”
Congresswoman Roby said, “The majority of Americans believe that tax dollars should not subsidize abortion, and HR7 rightfully prohibits this practice and places some necessary restrictions on abortion. House passage of this legislation is a victory for American taxpayers and the pro-life community. I am unapologetically pro-life, and it is my enduring responsibility to defend the unborn. We have a special opportunity to advance protections for life under a unified Republican government, and HR7 is a great first step.”
The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2017 makes permanent the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of federal funds for abortions. The legislation also requires that information about abortion coverage be disclosed for all health care plans.
US Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) said, “The House just passed HR7, with my support, to permanently ban taxpayer funded abortions. It is wrong to force all American taxpayers, at the point of a federal gun, to pay for other peoples’ abortions that, according to all medical and scientific evidence, take an innocent life.”
US Representative Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) said, “I am proud to say that today I voted in support of HR7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2017. This pro-life legislation permanently bans taxpayer funded abortions. This is an important step towards protecting the lives of babies in the womb.”
US Representative Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) said, “This afternoon I spoke in the House of Representatives to express my support for a permanent ban on taxpayer funded abortions. As I have said before, no argument in support of abortion can overcome one absolute truth: abortion stops an innocent human heartbeat. We should not be in the business of using tax dollars to help end innocent life.”
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) said, “We are a pro-life Congress. Today we renewed our commitment to the Hyde Amendment with the passage of the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. I want to thank Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) for his tireless commitment to this cause. This legislation protects the conscience of American taxpayers by ensuring that not a single dollar of their hard-earned money goes to fund abortions. As hundreds of thousands of Americans flock to Washington for the March for Life, we must never forget that defending all of our people—especially the defenseless—must be our top priority if we want to be a good and moral nation.”
The bill passed by a vote of 238 to 183. HR7 now goes to the US Senate.
