House of Representatives Passes Harmful Ban on Abortion Coverage
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 28, 2014
CONTACT:
Melissa Fowler
202.667.5881; 202.595.4395 (after hours/cell)
mfowler@prochoice.org
Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 7, the so-called “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act” by a vote of 227-188.
This bill targets some of the most vulnerable women who rely on the federal government for health care, including low-income women, federal employees, women in the military, and women in the Peace Corps. It would also prohibit the District of Columbia from using its own locally raised revenue to help low-income women obtain the abortion care they need.
This bill would affect women like Carly* who was suffering from kidney disease and in a great deal of pain. She couldn’t go to work and was having trouble caring for her two children. Carly knew continuing her pregnancy would create many more health problems and leave her unable to care for her family. She made the decision to have an abortion so that she could have her kidney removed and begin the road to recovery; however, she couldn’t afford her procedure. Coverage restrictions like those in H.R. 7 make it more difficult for women like Carly to access the abortion care they need.
This bill is yet another example of anti-choice legislators’ obsession with abortion. Rep. Smith introduced a more extreme version of this bill in 2011, which passed the House by a vote of 251-175.
Fortunately, President Barack Obama has issued a statement indicating that he would veto this harmful bill if it ever made it to his desk. We urge the Senate to not take up this misguided legislation.
*Name changed to protect patient privacy.
###
The National Abortion Federation (NAF) is the professional association of abortion providers in North America. Our mission is to ensure safe, legal, and accessible abortion care, which promotes health and justice for women. Our members include private and non-profit clinics, Planned Parenthood affiliates, women’s health centers, physicians’ offices, and hospitals who together care for more than 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.