Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford
11.01.21
WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today joined Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) to release a new memo detailing how the Democrats’ multitrillion-dollar tax-and-spending bill would violate the Hyde Amendment and radically expand taxpayer funding for abortions. Lankford is the chairman of the Values Action Team and member of the Pro-Life Caucus Senate Pro-Life Caucus.
“Democrats are once again helping the most pro-abortion President ever force American taxpayers to pay for abortions in their reckless tax-and-spend spree,” said Lankford. “It is clear Democrats are obsessed with abortion. They seem to look for every opportunity in every bill to find new ways to increase the number of abortions in America. We must stand against this continued assault on the lives of unborn babies and not allow health-related grants or new Medicaid and Affordable Care Act expansions to take the lives of even more Americans in the womb and violate the conscience rights of millions of Americans who are morally opposed to abortion. I continue to support the Hyde Amendment and all other life protections. In the days ahead, the national conversation around abortion will continue both in Congress and at the Supreme Court. It is the fundamental responsibility of government to protect the lives of every person from conception to natural death. I will continue to work in the Senate to protect life and call upon my colleagues to ensure no federal money is ever used to fund the taking of a child’s life.”
“Americans are overwhelmingly opposed to spending their hard-earned tax dollars on funding abortions. The Democrats’ big government, reckless tax and spending bill strips Hyde Amendment protections and expands abortion subsidies. This is an egregious attack on life and the American taxpayer. Protecting taxpayer dollars from funding abortions has not been a controversial issue for decades and it should not be one now. This is unacceptable,” Daines said.
The Democrats’ bill:
- Mandates abortion funding for the Medicaid coverage gap population in the 12 non-expansion States through Obamacare exchange plans in 2024 and 2025, overriding state laws
- Provides $30 billion for subsidizing cost-sharing and reinsurance for individual market health coverage without any restrictions on funding abortions or plans that cover abortions
- Massively expands taxpayer funding for Obamacare exchange plans that cover abortions
- Provides more than $18 billion in health-related grants without any limits on funding abortions
Read their full findings on the anti-life provisions in the Democrats’ tax and spending bill HERE.
Lankford has been a leading voice for the protection of life in Congress. He pushed back on the Biden Administration’s rule to allow taxpayer funded abortions. He also successfully secured language in the Democrats partisan $3.5 trillion Fiscal Year 2022 budget resolution to save the long-standing Hyde and Weldon Amendments, which prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars to fund abortions and abortion-related discrimination against health care workers, including insurers.
Lankford applauded that the US Supreme Court allowed Texas’ ban on abortion after an unborn baby’s heartbeat can be detected to take effect, which is a promising sign to defending life at all stages. Texas’ heartbeat law prohibits the performance or induction of an abortion if a fetal heartbeat is detected or if the abortionist fails to check for a heartbeat. The law offers an exception for medical emergencies.
Lankford joined an amicus brief signed by more than 220 Members of Congress supporting the state of Mississippi in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which presents the Supreme Court with the opportunity to overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Oral arguments in Dobbs are scheduled for December 1.
Last week, Lankford introduced a resolution to celebrate the first anniversary of the signing of the Geneva Consensus Declaration by a coalition of now 36 countries, making a shared commitment to defend life, the family, and national sovereignty. He expressed his disappointment in the Biden Administration for withdrawing from the Geneva Consensus Declaration under the guise of unity when 77 percent of Americans oppose taxpayer funded abortions.
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