Indianapolis, IndianaIndiana Right to Life (IRTL) joined a letter signed by 62 pro-life leaders urging Congress to preserve the Hyde Amendment and other pro-life budget riders. President Biden’s recent proposed budget removed the long-standing amendment, which prevents most direct federal taxpayer funding of abortion.

On the removal of Hyde Amendment from the budget and the congressional letter, IRTL President Mike Fichter said:

“That President Biden would reverse course on the Hyde Amendment shows just how out of touch this administration is with Americans, who largely support Hyde, a common-sense amendment which has saved millions of lives. Today, Indiana Right to Life stands with our brothers and sisters in the pro-life movement in urging Congress to protect the Hyde Amendment.”

The letter reads in part:

“As recently as 2006, then-Senator Biden was on the record opposing tax funding of abortion, saying, ‘I do not vote for funding for abortion… I won’t support public funding.’ Yet when on the presidential campaign trail in 2019, he flip-flopped to support abortion funding, directly contradicting his longstanding position.

“The impact of more than 2.4 million lives saved as a result of Congressman Hyde’s amendment and those amendments that followed cannot be measured. Congress has the duty and privilege to continue this legacy of protecting the vulnerable.”

The full text of the letter is available here.

A January Marist/Knights of Columbus poll found that 58% of Americans oppose taxpayer funding of abortion in the U.S. The Charlotte Lozier Institute estimates that the Hyde Amendment has saved nearly 2.5 million Americans from abortion since 1976.

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