Doyle Votes to Preserve Women's Access to Health Care

Press Release

Today U.S. Representative Mike Doyle voted against a bill (H.R. 3) that would restrict women's ability to buy private health insurance with their own money.

"I oppose abortion, and I oppose federal funding for abortion -- but federal law already prohibits the use of federal funding for abortion," Congressman Doyle observed. "This is a huge step beyond restricting federal funding for abortion -- it would limit how Americans spend their OWN money and deny American women access to a full range of health care services, and I can't support that. That is why I voted against H.R. 3."

Congressman Doyle has consistently voted in favor of the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of federal funds for abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or the life of the woman. The Hyde Amendment restrictions were preserved in last year's health care reform bill, which Congressman Doyle supported and was signed into law. Those provisions were reaffirmed by a Presidential Executive Order and by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

H.R. 3 would go significantly beyond the language of the Hyde Amendment. It would establish government control over any tax deductions or credits a taxpayer would claim -- essentially putting new limits on what an American family could do with its own money. These new tax restrictions would apply to contributions to churches and other charities.

If enacted, H.R. 3 would deny millions of women access to a full range of legal health care services. It would also raise taxes for a number of women and involve the IRS in determining whether federal tax breaks had been improperly claimed for abortion services.

Source