DeLauro Statement on the 40th Anniversary of the Hyde Amendment
WASHINGTON, DC (September 29, 2016) — CongresswomanRosa DeLauro (CT-03) today released the following statement ahead of the 40th anniversary of the Hyde Amendment, which denies Medicaid coverage of abortion and is used as a discriminatory tool by anti-choice legislators to target low-income Americans. The Hyde Amendment was first attached to legislation on September 30, 1976.
“We should never have to acknowledge another anniversary of the Hyde Amendment, which is why I strongly supporting repealing it as a critical step towards equal access to safe and affordable woman’s healthcare. Whether a woman has private or government funded health insurance, every family should be able to make their own decisions about reproductive health.
“Roe vs. Wade is the law of the land, no matter how much some of my colleagues in the majority rail against it. That is why I strongly support the EACH Woman Act—legislation that ensures that no matter how much a woman earns, how she is insured, or where she lives, she will have the right to choose, as guaranteed by the Supreme Court.
“What we are facing now is not just an attack on women’s health; it is an all-out assault on the health and well-being of millions of Americans. We must promote and protect the rights of every woman to make her own family planning decisions, and to have access to a full range of healthcare services. The time to repeal the Hyde Amendment is now.”