Since 1976 the Hyde Amendment has denied women their reproductive rights and endangered their health. The amendment bans the federal government from spending money on abortions except in very rare situations. The result? The reproductive health care of poor and low-income women who can't afford the procedure is drastically limited.
But now a New Jersey congressman wants to extend Hyde's reach and make its provisions permanent! If Rep. Chris Smith's bill passed it would:
-Permanently deny low-income women, federal
employees and military women abortion coverage.
-Effectively end abortion coverage in private employer
policies.
-Potentially undermine women's access to life-saving
emergency abortions at state and local public hospitals.
The bill already has more than 170 co-sponsors, but this sweeping attack on a woman's right to choose has to stop. Tell your members of Congress to oppose the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act."
Dear [Decision Maker],
I'm joining the Center for Reproductive Rights to urge you to oppose Rep. Chris Smith's recently introduced H.R. 5939, the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act."
This dangerous bill uses federal law in sweeping ways to restrict women's access to abortion. The bill goes far beyond codifying the discriminatory Hyde amendment, which severely limits millions of low-income women's access to abortion, at great cost to themselves and their families.
Currently, a majority of private insurance plans provide coverage for abortion services. If passed, however, H.R. 5939 would manipulate tax law, threatening to prevent private employers from continuing to offer health care coverage that includes abortion services except in very limited circumstances, despite the fact that those employers would otherwise choose to provide their employees with comprehensive coverage.
And shockingly, the bill also appears to eliminate federal protections for women who come to state and local public hospitals in need of life-saving emergency abortion services.
These are just a few of the harmful provisions of H.R. 5939. It represents an extreme departure from current law and it threatens to end abortion coverage for millions of American women. I urge you to stand up for women and oppose this dangerous bill.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
