[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 17 (Wednesday, January 29, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E135-E136]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




NO TAXPAYER FUNDING FOR ABORTION AND ABORTION INSURANCE FULL DISCLOSURE 
                              ACT OF 2014

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                               speech of

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 28, 2014

  Mr. HONDA. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 
7, an unnecessary and intrusive bill that represents a short-sighted 
attack on the rights of women and families, and undermines access to 
insurance that covers comprehensive women's health care.
  H.R. 7 would diminish meaningful access to healthcare for millions of 
lower and middle income families by denying them tax credits if the 
insurance plan they choose through the Health Insurance Marketplaces 
includes coverage for abortion services. Removing these tax breaks for 
the most vulnerable members of our society is not only dangerous, it is 
heartless, and it will return a constitutionally-protected medical 
procedure to its dark back-alley days. If enacted, this change will 
likely lead insurers to remove coverage for abortion services from all 
plans offered in the marketplaces, thus denying access to this coverage 
for women who wish to purchase such coverage out of their own pockets. 
Rather than offering real solutions to the problems our nation faces, 
the other side of the aisle only offers a return to the fights over 
social issues of the past.
  Republicans claim that H.R. 7 merely codifies the Hyde Amendment, a 
provision prohibiting the use of federal funds for most abortion 
services, but Title I of the bill actually includes

[[Page E136]]

numerous vague provisions that may in some cases modify and expand the 
funding restrictions relating to abortion currently included in annual 
appropriations bills. Besides, the Hyde Amendment has been passed every 
single year for nearly forty years--we already have a law prohibiting 
the use of federal funds to pay for abortion, we don't need another 
one.
   This legislation threatens women's health by denying access to 
comprehensive women's health care that includes abortion. That is why I 
vehemently oppose H.R. 7.

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