Ross Votes to Prohibit Taxpayer-Funded Abortions

Press Release

U.S. Rep. Dennis A. Ross (FL-15), Senior Deputy Majority Whip, made the following statement after voting to pass H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, which makes the Hyde Amendment and other current abortion funding prohibitions permanent and government-wide:

"I proudly voted for H.R. 7 today because our nation should invest in women and children's health, not abortion. Abortion is not healthcare; it is a brutal procedure that ends the lives of unborn children. The government should not incentivize abortion through its funding policies--end of discussion.

"The legislation passed today makes the Hyde Amendment and other current abortion funding prohibitions permanent and government-wide. While the Hyde Amendment protects taxpayer dollars from being used to fund abortions through some government programs, like Medicaid, it is not applied uniformly. A chilling example of deviation from this longstanding amendment is Obamacare, which expressly allows funding for healthcare plans that include abortion. Recent reports indicate that nearly half of the plans sold on the exchanges in 2017 cover abortion on demand, and in at least 10 states, a significant majority of the plans cover elective abortion.

"More than 2 million Americans are alive today because of the Hyde Amendment, and a majority of Americans agree that the government should not fund abortion. Ultimately, our goal should be to end abortion violence and cherish the children God gave us. We should provide the unborn the opportunity to grow strong, be bold and become the future of America."

The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act prohibits any funds authorized or appropriated by federal law to be expended for any abortion or for direct payments to insurers for health benefits coverage that includes coverage for abortions. The bill further prohibits the purchase of abortion coverage with matching funds from federally subsidized programs, including federal and state Medicaid funds.

This legislation does not relate to treatment of complications caused by or worsened by an abortion, nor to the treatment of abortions in the case of rape, incest or preserving the life of the mother. This bill will continue to prohibit the federal government from paying for affected procedures with the taxes of Americans who find abortion morally or religiously objectionable.

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