Now More Than Ever, Let’s Be Bold and End the Hyde Amendment
February 1, 2017Yesterday, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) reintroduced the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH Woman) Act. This bill aims to overturn the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal dollars from being used for abortions, with few exceptions.
The EACH Woman Act is an explicit pro-abortion piece of legislation that would significantly increase abortion access for people regardless of their income or their health insurance provider. It would require ALL federal government healthcare programs to fund abortions, including Medicaid, Medicare, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, Indian Health Services, and TRICARE, the federal health care program for military families. The bill would also protect private health insurance companies from political interference in regards to their decisions around abortion coverage.