Democratic House members vowed Tuesday to repeal a ban on federal funding for abortions and to fight against actions by the Trump administration to limit access to contraception.
“I believe that for the first time, maybe in our nation’s history, we actually have a pro-choice majority in the U.S. House of Representatives,” Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., said at a press conference.
Standing beside Planned Parenthood’s president, Dr. Leana Wen, lawmakers who belong to the caucus defending abortion rights, known as the Pro-Choice Caucus, said they planned to pass the Each Woman Act, a bill that would undo a longstanding ban on federal funding for abortion. The ban, known as the Hyde Amendment, prevents federal dollars from going toward abortions except in the cases of rape, incest, or if a woman’s pregnancy threatens her life.
House Democrats have been bolstered by the election of more women to their ranks and by court victories against the Trump administration. Two federal judges this week halted a Trump administration rule that would have let employers opt out of providing coverage for birth control if they have moral or religious objections.
Wen, the former Baltimore health commissioner who was appointed as president of Planned Parenthood in September, lamented at Tuesday’s press conference that abortion was “siloed, stigmatized, and attacked in a way that no other part of healthcare is.”
Planned Parenthood is the target of the Trump administration and Republicans, who seek to divert federal funds for birth control, sexually transmitted diseases, and cancer screenings, away from centers that also provide abortions. The Trump administration has proposed cutting off funds for this purpose, which are known as Title X, and a final rule is expected from the Department of Health and Human Services soon.
Lawmakers vowed on Tuesday to fight against the proposal and to go further against the Trump administration actions. They are reintroducing the Global Health, Empowerment, and Rights Act, which would undo the administration’s power to cut off funding from global aid organizations that also help women access abortion. The bill would let organizations use their own funds for that purpose.
“We intend to reverse all of that, maybe not in the first month, but soon,” DeGette said.
Upon announcing the legislation, Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., declared a “new era for reproductive rights” and vowed to roll out the “boldest pro-choice legislation in history.” The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum also joined the press conference.
Democrats did not indicate whether House leadership had agreed to bring the bills to the floor for a vote. They don’t stand a chance for passage under the GOP-controlled Senate, but Democrats have been looking to signal to voters what they can expect legislatively if Democrats flip the White House.
Lawmakers are reiterating their commitments to pro- and anti-abortion causes this week ahead of the March for Life rally protesting abortion and the Women’s March, which supports abortion rights. The bills are also being rolled out ahead of Jan. 22, the anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide up to fetal viability, generally understood as up to 24 weeks.
Senate Republicans on Monday introduced legislation to block states from allowing Obamacare plans to cover abortions, and another that would create stricter guidelines for Obamacare plans to show when they cover abortion.
