Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Rep. Barbara Lee introduced the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance, or EACH, Act in Congress on Thursday morning, calling for the reversal of the Hyde Amendment and guaranteed insurance coverage of abortion.
Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court ruling, has protected a person’s right to a safe and legal abortion since 1973. But many people, especially low-income women and women of color, still face heightened barriers to access the medical procedure due to the Hyde Amendment, which bars federal health insurance programs like Medicaid from covering abortions, except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.
“This isn’t about what side you’re on in the abortion debate, it’s about equality and opportunity plain and simple,” Duckworth said on a call with reporters on Wednesday. “Whatever you think about the procedure, we should all agree that what’s legal for wealthy Americans should not be so inaccessible for Americans of color and low-income Americans.”
The Hyde Amendment — named after former Illinois congressman Henry Hyde, a vocally anti-abortion Republican — was passed in 1976 and has been renewed every year since. Congress has the opportunity to repeal the Hyde Amendment during the federal appropriations process each spring. Whatever you think about the procedure, we should all agree that what’s legal for wealthy Americans should not be so inaccessible for Americans of color and low-income Americans.
No country can deny reproductive rights and not fund social services and safety net programs for children and pregnant women while claiming to be a nation built on pro-life principles.
Health Health Latest News, Health Health Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: YahooNews - 🏆 380. / 59 Read more »
Source: HuffPostWomen - 🏆 27. / 68 Read more »