A couple of weeks ago we reported that Planned Parenthood received $80 million in taxpayer dollars from the Paycheck Protection Program. This came on the heels of Speaker Nancy Pelosi's attempt to create a $1 billion funding stream for reimbursing laboratory costs that were exempt from the Hyde Amendment back in March. As you may recall, the Hyde Amendment prevents taxpayer money from being used to pay for abortions.
While the Administration took swift action to take back the money many Planned Parenthood affiliates received and Pelosi didn’t get her wish, pro-lifers must continue to put pressure on leadership to uphold Hyde.
In light of this, Representative Michael Conaway (R-TX) introduced the Protecting Life in Crisis Act (H.R. 6742) to be included in any new COVID-19 related supplemental legislation. The bill ensures all COVID-19 healthcare funds are under the Hyde amendment’s provisions. H.R. 6742 also prevents federal tax credits from being used to cover any post-employment healthcare (COBRA) premiums that include abortion coverage.
In his press release announcing the Protecting Life in Crisis Act’s introduction into the record, Congressman Conaway said:
“As our nation begins the road to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, we must remain vigilant to protect the most vulnerable among us. Unfortunately, abortion activists view the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity to undermine right-to-life protections in the Hyde Amendment. This legislation protects innocent, unborn children by ensuring that the right-to-life is a fundamental component of any federal COVID-19-related healthcare measures.”
Eagle Forum joined a letter asking House Leadership to include H.R. 6742 in any new Coronavirus supplementals. The legislation has 100 cosponsors, all of which are Republicans. Please join us in asking your Representative to both cosponsor and encourage House Leadership to add the Protecting Life Act to any upcoming Coronavirus relief bills. You can find a list of cosponsors here.
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