The Hyde amendment made federal funding of abortions illegal in 1976, but its authority had to be renewed every year. The bill approved today by Frelinghuysen, H.R. 7, would make that authority permanent and would prohibit federal funding of abortion in health insurance subsidized by the Affordable Care Act, which is also known as Obamacare.
According to the Republican Policy Committee, H.R. 7 prohibits the use of federal funds for abortion or health plans that cover abortion, except in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is in danger. H.R. 7 prohibits abortions at facilities owned or operated by the federal government, and prevents federal employees from performing abortions within the scope of their employment. H.R. 7 prohibits premium tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies authorized under the Affordable Care Act from being granted for health plans that include elective abortion coverage. It also prohibits small business tax credits authorized under the ACA for health plans offered by an employer that include elective abortion coverage.
Similar legislation was approved by the previous Congress, but did not become law under then President Obama. Today’s vote on H.R. 7 was 238 – 183 and it must be approved by the Senate before it is submitted to President Trump for signing into law.
On Friday, January 13, some Verona residents went to Frelinghuysen’s Morristown office to urge him to not repeal the Affordable Care Act without having a replacement plan in place. He was in Washington that day, approving a procedural measure that instructed committees to draft a repeal bill by January 27, which is tomorrow.
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, a Republican, represents New Jersey’s 11th Congressional district. Verona has been part of this district since a gerrymandering in 2012. You can read more about Frelinghuysen’s record on GovTrack, an independent developer of open data resources on Congress.
Gee, another guy thinking he knows more about women’s healthcare needs than women do. Did he somehow miss the millions of women, men and children marching on Saturday ? Abortion is legal Mr. Frelinghuysen, and needs to remain safe in the hands of professional healthcare providers. This action on your part to deny legal healthcare services to women is noted.