The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, H.R. 3, will eliminate the need for numerous separate annual abortion-funding prohibitions (called riders) and ensure that no program or agency is exempt from the long-standing ban on taxpayer funding of abortion. The bill also codifies the conscience clause known as Hyde-Weldon. H.R. 3 maintains the status quo prohibition on taxpayer funding for abortion that has long been embodied in the Hyde Amendment. The Hyde Amendment allows for taxpayer funding of abortion in very limited cases, including if the pregnancy is the result of rape. The language of H.R. 3 was not intended to change existing law regarding taxpayer funding for abortion in cases of rape, nor is it expected that it would do so. Nonetheless, the legislative process will provide an opportunity to clarify this should such a need exist.
The choice was evil or incompetent and he comes down on the incompetent side. It would be great if he got a District he could lose in, but it’s likely that Mike Madigan will protect his District.