Young and Braun Join Effort to Permanently End Taxpayer Funding of Abortion

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Mike Braun (R-Ind.) joined Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Pat Roberts (R-Kansas), and James Lankford (R-Okla.) to introduce the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2019, S. 109. The measure would establish a permanent, government-wide prohibition of taxpayer funding for abortion. Similar policies, such as the Hyde Amendment, currently require annual passage and do not apply to Obamacare.

“Federal dollars should absolutely not be used to fund abortion,” said Senator Young. “As many Hoosiers prepare to travel to Washington to participate in the March for Life this week, it’s time that Congress passed legislation to protect the sanctity of life and create a permanent and comprehensive prohibition on taxpayer-funded abortions.” 

“Safeguarding life at every stage is a solemn responsibility, and one Hoosiers entrusted me to uphold,” said Senator Braun. “I’m proud to co-sponsor this legislation because I believe the federal government has no business funding abortions, and not a single Hoosier tax dollar should ever be spent supporting the abortion industry.” 

In addition to establishing a government-wide ban on federal funding for abortion, the legislation would: 

• Prohibit funding for health benefits coverage that includes coverage of abortion with funds authorized or appropriated by Federal law.
• Prohibit abortion in federal health facilities (such as DOD and VA hospitals) and ensure that no federal employee provides abortion services in the course of their employment.
• Make permanent the provisions of the DC Hyde Amendment, or the Dornan Amendment, which clarifies that the federal provisions regarding abortion funding also apply to the government of the District of Columbia.
• Ensure that elective abortion is not deductible for tax purposes by amending Section 213 of the Internal Revenue Code.
• Ensure that Affordable Care Act premium assistance subsidies provided in the form of refundable advanceable tax credits are not used to pay for health insurance plans that include abortion, except in cases of rape, incest, or the life of the mother.

The legislation also includes a provision championed by Sen. Roberts requiring that all plans offered by Obamacare exchanges disclose whether a plan includes coverage of elective abortion procedures, as well as the abortion surcharge embedded into abortion-covering plans.

In addition to Young, Braun, Wicker, Roberts, and Lankford, S. 109 is co-sponsored by 28 other senators including: John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), David Perdue (R-Ga.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Ted Cruz (R-Texas).