Congress Passes Spending Bill Containing Pro-life Provision
As expected, Congress passed on Saturday a $388 billion spending bill that contains a pro-life provision making it easier for hospitals to refuse to provide abortion services.
The House approved the measure with a 344-51 vote and the Senate passed the bill, 65-30.
But the House will meet next week to revise a single line in the bill that would give two committee chairmen and their assistants access to people's income tax returns before sending the bill to the White House to get President Bush’s signature. Congress, which had hoped to end their post-election session on Saturday, passed a measure to keep the government open until the spending bill and a bill backed by Bush of an overhaul of the nation's intelligence agencies were resolved.
Called the “Hyde-Weldon anti-discrimination amendment” by pro-lifers and the “Federal Refusal Clause” by pro-choice groups such as NARAL Pro-Choice, the provision, according to National Right to Life, “provides that state and local governments that receive federal health and human services funds may not discriminate against health care providers because they do not provide abortions, pay for abortions, provide coverage of abortions, or refer for abortions.” Health care providers covered under this amendment includes doctors, health care professionals, hospitals, HMOs, and health insurance plans, among others. The provision is similar to the one offered to Catholic hospitals.
Pro-lifers praised the amendment’s passing while nine female senators opposed it, arguing it limited a woman’s right to abortion.
Some lawmakers say the pro-life amendment is a payback for religious conservatives and “values” voters for their help in re-electing Bush to a second term.
