Senate Approves Zika Funding Amendment with Harmful Hyde Language

Statement by Vicki Saporta, President and CEO of the National Abortion Federation (NAF), on Zika Funding Amendment:

Today, the Senate approved a Zika funding amendment, which unfortunately includes harmful language that will restrict women’s access to abortion care. This follows yesterday’s House vote on a similar measure.

It’s disappointing, but not surprising that anti-choice politicians are using a public health crisis like the Zika virus to advance their agenda of blocking women’s access to safe, legal abortion care.

The amendment includes language from the Hyde Amendment that continues to leave low-income women across the country with limited access to abortion care. Federal funding restrictions are the most significant barrier to abortion access for low-income women in the United States. These funding restrictions unfairly jeopardize the health and well-being of millions of women who rely on the federal government for their health care, including women on Medicaid, women in the Peace Corps and military, and federal workers.

A woman’s access to abortion shouldn’t depend on where she lives or how much money she has. And politicians shouldn’t hijack public health issues like the Zika virus in order to limit women’s access to abortion care.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 19, 2016

CONTACT:
Melissa Fowler, National Abortion Federation
202.667.5881, ext 217; 202.595.4395 (after hours/cell)
[email protected]

The National Abortion Federation (NAF) is the professional association of abortion providers. Our members include individuals, private and non-profit clinics, Planned Parenthood affiliates, women’s health centers, physicians’ offices, and hospitals who together care for approximately half the women who choose abortion in the U.S. and Canada each year. Our members also include public hospitals and both public and private clinics in Mexico City and private clinics in Colombia.