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Republican Study Committee Demands Congressional Leaders Save Hyde Amendment

January 26, 2021

WASHINGTON—Today, Republican Study Committee Chairman Jim Banks and 199 of his Republican colleagues sent a letter to congressional leaders pledging to oppose any government funding bill that eliminates or weakens the Hyde Amendment or other current-law, pro-life appropriations provisions.

The Hyde amendment is a four decade-old ban on taxpayer-funded abortions that has suddenly been placed on the chopping block by radical Democrats, despite the fact that it's received bipartisan support from every president since Jimmy Carter and even Joe Biden expressed support for it as recently as 2019.

Chairman of the RSC Jim Banks said: "Despite decades of consensus on this issue, radical Democrats have signaled they no longer have an interest in protecting the conscience rights of millions of Americans who do not want their hard-earned money used to pay for abortions. My colleagues and I demand congressional leaders protect the ban on taxpayer-funded abortions and save the Hyde Amendment."

Here is a link to the final copy of the letter.

Groups supporting:

Americans United for Life

Concerned Women for America

Eagle Forum (scoring)

Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission

Family Policy Alliance

Family Research Council

Heritage Action for America

March for Life (scoring)

Susan B. Anthony List (scoring)

National Right to Life

What They're Saying:

"American citizens deserve the certainty of knowing that their hard-earned dollars won't be spent to end innocent human life. The Hyde Amendment has routinely enjoyed bipartisan support and is one of the greatest public policy successes in the history of our country, in part, because it has protected more than 2.4 million precious lives. The Hyde Amendment should also be maintained because it enjoys the support of a majority of Americans, is unquestionably constitutional, and protects the fundamental conscience rights of millions of Americans."

– Denise Burke, Senior Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom

"For more than 40 years, the Hyde Amendment has been accepted policy and ensured that no taxpayer dollars have gone on to fund abortions. I applaud Chairman Banks, the RSC, and the Republican conference for being united in standing for life. "

- Jessica Anderson, Executive Director, Heritage Action for America

"For nearly forty-five years, the Hyde Amendment and similar conscience-based protections have protected pro-life Americans from paying for procedures that destroy human lives. Americans know that abortion is not healthcare, and the abortion industry does not have women's health in mind, only its bottom line. Americans United for Life is proud to stand with Members of Congress to fight to preserve these critical provisions that are now under attack by abortion extremists."

– Catherine Glenn Foster, President & CEO, Americans United for Life

"Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee calls on Congress to Hold the Line on Life. We must Save Hyde as a continuing promise to American workers that our federal taxes will not be used to pay for annihilating unborn children. No humane society should promote the destruction of human life with its tax dollars."

– Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee

"The Hyde Amendment is vital to securing the rights of Americans, including the preborn. Without Hyde, taxpayer dollars will be used to fund abortion and lead to violating millions of Americans' conscience rights. In the year following Roe v. Wade, 1 in every 3 abortions were funded by taxpayers. To add to this, 1 in 9 individuals born to a mother on Medicaid owes his or her life to the Hyde Amendment. For more than forty years the Hyde Amendment has rightly received bipartisan support. The rights of too many are at stake to change that now."

– Kirsten Hasler, Executive Director, Eagle Forum

"I am encouraged to see strong leadership by the Republican Study Committee and Chairman Jim Banks as they draw a clear line on protecting the Hyde Amendment and other longstanding pro-life protections. Prohibiting taxpayer funding of the gruesome practice of abortion is consistently popular with the American people and has been reflected in congressional spending for over 40 years. As Democrats break with the longstanding bipartisan support of the Hyde Amendment and demand forced funding of abortion by taxpayers, it is critical for pro-life members of Congress to stand up for the consciences of American taxpayers."

– Tony Perkins, President, Family Research Council

"The impact the Hyde Amendment has had cannot be overstated: It has proven itself to be the greatest domestic abortion-reduction measure ever enacted by Congress. The Hyde Amendment has enjoyed bipartisan support for over 40 years and is widely recognized as having saved over two million American lives since it was first passed in 1976."

– National Right to Life