Herger Applauds House Passage of No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act

Statement

Congressman Wally Herger (R-CA) issued the following statement after the House passed H.R. 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. The legislation would establish a permanent, government-wide prohibition on taxpayer subsidies for abortion and abortion coverage, codify existing conscience protections with an added enforcement mechanism, and close certain loopholes that give tax-preferred status to abortion.

"I'm pleased to support the 'No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.' This legislation permanently enshrines the long-standing and unifying principle that taxpayer money should not be used for abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or where the life of the mother is at risk. It would also overturn a deeply controversial provision in ObamaCare that created an unprecedented opening for taxpayer dollars to go toward covering the cost of abortions. I urge the Senate to pass H.R. 3 quickly and listen to the significant majority of Americans who oppose using taxpayer dollars to fund abortion."

Background:

The 'No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act':

* Makes specific and narrow changes to the tax code so if funds in FSAs and HSAs are used to pay for an abortion, then those dollars will not receive tax-favored treatment.
* Prevents the cost of an abortion from counting toward the deduction for unreimbursed medical expenses.
* Clarifies that tax subsidies made available in the 2010 health law for the purchase of insurance cannot be used for policies that cover abortion.

The following pro-life and pro-family groups support H.R. 3:

* US Conference of Catholic Bishops
* Family Research Council
* Americans United for Life
* Concerned Women for America
* Traditional Values Coalition
* Republican National Coalition for Life
* Human Life Alliance
* CatholicVote.org
* National Right to Life

Source