The House’s $1.5 trillion omnibus spending package keeps Hyde, Weldon Amendments
The House passed a $1.5 trillion omnibus Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education spending package Thursday morning with Republicans touting the victory of retaining the Hyde and Weldon Amendments that Democrats had attempted to strip from the budget proposal.
“We applaud Congress for including provisions in the omnibus appropriations package that uphold the sacred dignity of human life and will support and assist many vulnerable people here and abroad,” the USCCB said in a statement. “In particular, we are grateful that Congress has maintained longstanding, bipartisan, and lifesaving provisions including the Hyde, Helms, and Weldon Amendments that prevent our tax dollars from paying for the tragedy of abortion and protect people from having to participate in abortion against their consciences.”
The Biden Administration unsuccessfully sought to remove the Hyde Amendment language, which prevents federal funds from being used for abortion services, from last year’s budget. It was the first time in four decades that an attempt had been made to do so since the amendment was adopted in the 1970s.
The current omnibus bill also includes the Weldon amendment, which guarantees federal funding for entities that do not provide abortion services. Democrats had also stripped the original bill language of that protection.
The bill will now be sent to the Senate. You can find your Senator here to tell them to keep the Amendments in place.