H.R. 7, No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, Passes House

On January 28, 2014, the U.S. House passed H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act with a 227-188 vote. The following commentary is taken from National Right to Life's commentary on the bill's passage: 

H.R. 7, sponsored by Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Dan Lipinski (D-Il.), would codify the principles of the Hyde Amendment on a permanent, government-wide basis, applicable to both longstanding federal health programs and to the new programs created by Obamacare. Under the bill, health plans that cover

elective abortions would not qualify for federal subsidies, although such plans could still be sold to those who wish to purchase them with personal funds.
On today’s vote on passage, the bill was supported by 221 Republicans and six Democrats. It was opposed by one Republican and 187 Democrats, many of whom echoed attacks on the bill found in a veto threat issued by the White House.

“The White House veto threat demonstrates yet again that President Obama is engaging in establishing massive federal subsidies for abortion on demand, notwithstanding his evasions and denials,” said National Right to Life President Carol Tobias. “The 188 House members who voted against the bill will be firmly marked as supporters of federal funding for elective abortion.”

Further details on specific components of H.R. 7 are found in NRLC’s January 24 letter to the House of Representatives (http://www.nrlc.org/uploads/ahc/NRLCToHouseHR7.pdf). More extensive documentation on the abortion-expanding provisions of Obamacare, and the overall history of limitations on federal subsidies for abortion, are found in NRLC’s congressional testimony at http://www.nrlc.org/uploads/ahc/ProtectLifeActDouglasJohnsonTestimony.pdf.

North Carolinians should be proud of the nine House members who voted "yes" on the bill. Congressman Mark Meadows (R-11), one of the bill's supporters, gave a short but moving pro-life testimony during the debate. You can watch that speech here and see the votes below. Please contact your representatives to thank them for their "yes" votes! Being pro-life in Congress isn't easy, and they need your support. 

How the U.S. House from North Carolina voted: voted    � Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-1) N    � Rep. Howard Coble (R-6) Y    � Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-2) Y    � Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-5) Y    � Rep. George Holding (R-13) Y    � Rep. Richard Hudson (R-8) Y    � Rep. Walter Jones (R-3) NV    � Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-10) Y    � Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-7) Y    � Rep. Mark Meadows (R-11) Y    � Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-9) Y    � Rep. David Price (D-4) N