[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 63 (Tuesday, May 10, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E849]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  NO TAXPAYER FUNDING FOR ABORTION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 4, 2011

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 3, the No 
Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.
  House Republicans are waging a war against women and they have made 
their extreme and dangerous agenda clear--to undermine women's access 
to reproductive health care.
  H.R. 3 is a radical attack on women and their reproductive rights. It 
extends unprecedented limitation on access to abortions, and it singles 
out and punishes women who want access to this legal service.
  Do not be confused. H.R. 3 goes far beyond current law--which is 
already highly restrictive, and which I oppose. The Hyde Amendment 
already prohibits women enrolled in Medicaid and Medicare, federal 
employees, women serving in the military, women in federal prisons, 
Peace Corps volunteers, and women seeking care under the Indian Health 
Services Act from getting the care they need. Its very narrow 
exceptions do not even give women facing severe health conditions like 
cancer access to medically necessary abortion care so they can receive 
chemotherapy treatment.
  One of the original goals of this legislation was to narrow the 
already harmful Hyde exceptions even further. The bill's sponsors tried 
to redefine rape and incest--to take us back to a time when saying 
``no'' wasn't enough. Public outcry at this mean-spirited and hurtful 
attempt to make it harder for survivors of rape and incest to access 
coverage for abortion services forced its removal. Unfortunately, based 
on the House Judiciary Committee Report accompanying H.R. 3, some 
members of this chamber are still intent on narrowing the rape 
exception.
  This bill is both hurtful and offensive. H.R. 3 expands an unfair, 
punitive policy that is dangerous to women's health and applies it to 
millions of women and men in the private insurance market. No one 
should be limited in terms of their access to safe and legal abortion.
  This legislation redefines the concept of ``government funding'' far 
beyond the current common understanding. It prohibits even private and 
nonfederal government funds from being spent on any activity remotely 
related to the provision of abortion--any time federal money is 
involved in funding or subsidizing other, nonabortion-related care.
  This legislation increases taxes on small businesses with abortion 
coverage in their private insurance plans. For decades, small 
businesses have been fighting insurance company premium demands and 
struggling to maintain health insurance coverage for their employees. 
Many of those small businesses--1 in 3--are owned by women, but this 
bill affects both men and women.
  The Affordable Care Act provides small businesses with tax credits to 
help make health insurance both accessible and affordable. Those tax 
credits are available now. Today, they are worth up to 35 percent of 
health insurance premium costs. By 2014, they will be worth up to 50 
percent.
  The Republicans have already passed legislation to repeal the 
Affordable Care Act--taking away tax credits from small business owners 
and employees who need help. Repeal is bound to fail. But H.R. 3 takes 
another course--it would repeal this benefit for any small business 
insurance policy that includes coverage of abortions.
  Small business owners will face an unfair and discriminatory choice. 
If they need the tax credit to make coverage for themselves and their 
employees affordable, they will need to drop the abortion benefit. If 
they want to keep the benefit, they will have to go without the tax 
credit--raising their costs and taking away money that could be used to 
expand their business and maybe hire another employee. H.R. 3 will 
raise taxes on millions of small businesses.
  Nearly 90 percent of private health insurance policies offer abortion 
coverage and this is a blatant attempt to force employers to drop 
abortion coverage from their private health insurance plans.
  Now is the time to work on the issues that are most important to 
Americans--creating jobs and improving the economy--rather than 
punishing small businesses and workers through legislation that takes 
health care away from women.
  American women will suffer if this bill becomes law.

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