House Dems Demand Taxpayer-Funded Abortions in Medicare for All

House Democrats are pushing Medicare for All plans that would require taxpayers to pay for abortion.

Lawmakers are attempting to use Medicare for All to effectively repeal the Hyde Amendment, a decades-old provision that prohibits federal funding of abortion with narrow exceptions in cases of rape, incest, and concern for the health of the mother. Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D., Conn.) and Pramila Jayapal (D., Wash.) testified in front of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce about their respective health care plans, both of which have language intended to force taxpayers to pay for abortion in government-run health care systems.

DeLauro is the sponsor of the Medicare for America Act, which includes a provision that says, "Federal funds may be used to provide for abortion services under any health program or activity." It also lists abortion under the category of "comprehensive reproductive health services."

Jayapal's Medicare for All Act does not mention abortion by name, but instead refers to the provision of "Comprehensive reproductive, maternity, and newborn care." The bill calls for the creation of a "Universal Medicare Trust Fund" to pay for care. The money in that fund would be exempt from any other law in effect that restricts taxpayer funding of abortion.