The United States Senate reportedly saved the Hyde Amendment by one vote after it narrowly blocked taxpayer funding for abortions.
According to the Christian Headlines, the vote of one senator from the Democratic Party on Tuesday saved the federal law that prohibits taxpayer funding of abortions also known as the Hyde Amendment. With that one vote were 49 other from the Republicans that enabled the Hyde Amendment to be added to the Senate's budget resolution of $3.5 trillion. West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin saved the Hyde Amendment that previously had full bipartisan support since the 1970s.
Manchin, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, was applauded and thanked by pro-life organizations Democrats for Life and Susan B. Anthony List for saving the Hyde amendment, highlighting his "courageous" votes. Accordingly, Manchin also voted for The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act and the Protecting Individuals With Down Syndrome Act.
"The Hyde Amendment has been SAVED and added to the latest Senate budget because of DFLA Endorsed Pro-Life Democrat Senator Joe Manchin! Thank you @Sen_JoeManchin for standing up for LIFE!" Democrats for life tweeted on Wednesday.
"Thank you for standing tall to defend life & pro-life Americans," the Susan B. Anthony List highlighted in their statement.
Susan B. Anthony List National President Marjorie Dannenfelser added that Manchin was different from other Senate Democrats known to "have no problem ignoring their constituents" who majorly oppose taxpayer funding of abortion. Dannenfelser encouraged Manchin to continue his stand "for the unborn."
"But Senator Manchin has proven himself to be the notable exception by standing up for unborn children, their mothers, and pro-life American taxpayers last night with three strong pro-life votes. West Virginia is a deeply pro-life state, and Senator Manchin's courageous votes have not gone unnoticed. We encourage him to continue standing tall for the unborn and the pro-life Americans of the Mountain State," Dannenfelser stressed.
Oklahoma Senator James Lankford was said to have introduced an amendment to the budget resolution of the Democrats by prioritizing the protection of the unborn, specifically by prohibiting the use of taxpayer funds for abortion and discrimination related to abortion. The said amendment was designed to "comply" with the Hyde Amendment and the Weldon Amendment, which gives health care providers protection from discrimination should they refuse to participate in abortion.
"We should all be able to agree-no American should be forced to pay for an abortion through taxpayer dollars. Just because a child is inside the womb does not mean they should be treated any differently by law," Lankford stressed.
"My amendment restates the long-term agreement that no taxpayer dollars fund an abortion, and no American should be punished for refusing to participate in an abortion. That should not be controversial," he added.
In June, a group of 22 attorney generals pointed out to Congressmen the importance of the Hyde Amendment in saving the lives of more than two million unborn babies since it was signed 40 years ago. The said attorney generals sent a letter to Congress to express their disappointment that the budget conspiciously omits the Hyde Amendment as directed by President Joe Biden.
