It has been 40 years since the Hyde Amendment first passed Congress and restricted our federal tax dollars from being used to pay for Medicaid abortions. A quick trip through the interwebs would have you believing that this is a grim anniversary — one that marks a policy that denies access to poor women who not only have a “right” to abort their unborn children but should be able to do so with federal funds. But the reality doesn’t support that bleak depiction.
Children, no matter what their parents’ income or zip code may be, deserve access to life. Most mothers would rather be given free diapers than free death for their unborn babies. Want to see the reality produced by 40 years of the Hyde Amendment? Hop on over to HelloHyde.org and check out even a few of those more than 2 million smiling faces saved by the Hyde Amendment. Their stories tell the truth. As this debate moves forward in the months ahead, let’s listen to the voices of those who owe their lives to this policy.
Don’t believe the lies. Congressman Hyde’s Amendment, which has long enjoyed bi-partisan support, has yielded a beautiful, vibrant and hope-filled legacy. It has saved over 2 million children from death. As the Congressman said, “This is a debate about our understanding of human dignity, what it means to be a member of the human family, even though tiny, powerless and unwanted.”
