Thune, Rounds Defend Pro-Life Protections, Vow to Block Taxpayer-Funded Abortions
“For more than 45 years, the Hyde Amendment has ensured that taxpayer dollars are not used to fund abortions, saving the lives of nearly 2.5 million preborn children.”
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today joined 46 of their colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) pledging to block any bill that would undermine pro-life protections, including the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits taxpayer funding for abortion. Last year, Thune and Rounds introduced legislation that would make the Hyde Amendment permanent.
“We write to express our unwavering support for the Hyde Amendment and all other longstanding pro-life protections,” the senators wrote. “For more than 45 years, the Hyde Amendment has ensured that taxpayer dollars are not used to fund abortions, saving the lives of nearly 2.5 million preborn children. As you know, the Hyde Amendment is supported by both a substantial majority of the American public and a bipartisan majority of sitting United States Senators, and was most recently signed into law by President Biden in Public Law 117-103.”
“On February 5, 2021, we wrote to you that ‘[w]e are committed to vote against the advancement of any legislation that would eliminate or weaken the Hyde Amendment or any other current-law pro-life protections, or otherwise undermine existing Federal pro-life policy,’”the senators continued. “We firmly renew this commitment for FY 2023.”
“We urge you to start where we finished by making a baseline commitment to maintain the same pro-life protections that were included in Public Law 117-103, and to eschew any taxpayer-funded giveaways that benefit the multi-billion-dollar abortion industry,” the senators concluded.
The letter was led by U.S. Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.), and it was also signed by U.S. Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), James Risch (R-Idaho), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.).
The letter is endorsed by the Susan B. Anthony List, Family Research Council, March for Life, Catholic Vote, National Right to Life, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Americans United for Life, Concerned Women for America, and Alliance Defending Freedom.
Full letter below:
The Honorable Chuck Schumer
Majority Leader
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Leader Schumer:
We write to express our unwavering support for the Hyde Amendment and all other longstanding pro-life protections. For more than 45 years, the Hyde Amendment has ensured that taxpayer dollars are not used to fund abortions, saving the lives of nearly 2.5 million preborn children. As you know, the Hyde Amendment is supported by both a substantial majority of the American public and a bipartisan majority of sitting United States Senators, and was most recently signed into law by President Biden in Public Law 117-103.
Nevertheless, President Biden’s budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 once again proposes to eliminate the Hyde Amendment and other existing pro-life protections, while also increasing taxpayer funding for the abortion industry at home and abroad, including through massive funding increases for the Title X family planning program.
On February 5, 2021, we wrote to you that “[w]e are committed to vote against the advancement of any legislation that would eliminate or weaken the Hyde Amendment or any other current-law pro-life protections, or otherwise undermine existing Federal pro-life policy.”
We firmly renew this commitment for FY 2023. We are united in our resolve to preserve more than 45 years of consensus against taxpayer funding for abortion. We urge you to start where we finished by making a baseline commitment to maintain the same pro-life protections that were included in Public Law 117-103, and to eschew any taxpayer-funded giveaways that benefit the multi-billion-dollar abortion industry. The American people, born and preborn, deserve nothing less.
Sincerely,
###
At best they are PROBIRTH then you are on your own!
Slick, that’s what parents are for. There’s about 32 couples, 64 potential parents, waiting with open arms for every baby available for adoption. Nobody has to keep a baby she doesn’t want or can’t afford.
Slick’s attack is an extremely tired one with no merit. Just because conservatives oppose government programs that attempt to give everyone everything from the cradle to the grave, or agree with him, does not mean that they are not prolife. Slick needs to learn something rather than throw ad hominem attacks. Conservatives donate more money, time, and even blood to charities than do liberals. Do a simple internet search and you will find evidence to that fact.
Conservative legislators have supported efforts to make adopting children easier and are also pro-economic growth so that all parents can have jobs.
And since parents with jobs are what children need, Conservatives have always been looking out for what’s in the best interest of children, as opposed to the unhinged who think the solution is to kill the children.
We should get the Dobbs decision this month…. We will all know in June the answer.
Good to see both Senators being pro-life though
Glad we don’t have any pro abortion Democrat senators any longer!!
Preborn children are the ones you adopt after somebody else has given birth to them.
Republicans care more for a blob of cells then 10 year old children SHAME !!!!
who says Republicans don’t care about ten year olds? My twin grandsons are ten years old, and they have parents, and their parents have jobs. That’s what kids need: parents with jobs.
Yes, we care about blobs of cells. After all, you are a blob of cells.