National Right to Life is calling on Congress to maintain Hyde protections in all federal spending and health care legislation.

The Hyde Amendment, first passed in 1976, prevents taxpayer dollars from funding abortion and is estimated to have saved over 2.6 million lives.

Carol Tobias, NRLC president, emphasized that the Hyde Amendment reflects the moral convictions of the American people and should not be weakened or circumvented. She noted that provisions in the Affordable Care Act have allowed abortion coverage in subsidized health plans, effectively using taxpayer funds to pay for abortion, which departs from long-standing federal policy.

“For nearly five decades, the Hyde Amendment has served as a moral and legal firewall, protecting Americans from being forced to subsidize abortion through their tax dollars,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Its principles must not be weakened, sidelined, or quietly erased through back-door funding schemes.”

“The Affordable Care Act broke with long-standing precedent by allowing abortion coverage to be embedded in subsidized health plans,” stated Tobias. “No American should be forced to fund abortion as the price of helping families afford health care.”

As Congress considers spending packages and health care legislation, National Right to Life urges lawmakers to reject any proposals that weaken Hyde protections or expand abortion funding in any form. Tobias stressed, “Hyde is not extreme. Forcing Americans to fund abortion is.”