WASHINGTON, D.C., January 15, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Two leading conservatives in the House of Representatives told LifeSiteNews.com today that House Republicans have no intention of giving up the fight to pass pro-life legislation through Congress in the coming year.
At Wednesday's “Conversation with Conservatives,” co-hosted by The Heritage Foundation and several Members of Congress – including third-term Kansas Republican Tim Huelskamp and third-term Idaho Republican Raul Labrador – LifeSiteNews.com asked the panel of nearly one dozen Republican Members whether the House would push for pro-life legislation in 2014, as it had in 2012 and 2013.
The question was asked in reference to H.R. 7, the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.” H.R. 7 would codify a number of annually-approved pro-life amendments, most importantly the Hyde Amendment. The Hyde Amendment has prevented federal funding for abortion since 1976, with exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother.
The House Judiciary Committee, which held a hearing on H.R. 7 last week, was debating and voting on amendments to H.R. 7 at the same time as “Conversation with Conservatives” was happening.
Huelskamp said that “a number of us have had a concerted effort…to add cosponsors to H.R. 7.” He went on to express his hope that “with some more sponsors and a good action, we can encourage leadership to bring that to the floor.”
Labrador, who is on the Judiciary Committee, said the House would definitely have “momentum to pass” H.R. 7. He said “the fact that it's being heard in Judiciary today tells you there's momentum,” and that he believes “it's going to pass Judiciary Committee and go to the House floor.”
Huelskamp acknowledged that pro-life legislation has “difficulty” passing through Congress, and said part of this is due to the lack of “the actual appropriations bill on the floor to which we can offer those kinds of things.”
Funding limitations for federally-funded abortions are typically attached as “riders” to appropriations bills. This is how the Hyde Amendment has been in law for the entirety of its existence.
“A lot of that is in the HHS budget,” explained Huelskamp. “I have yet to have a chance to vote on [an appropriations bill] in my three-plus years here in Congress.”
The last time the House passed an appropriations bill for HHS' budget was in 2009. The federal government has largely run on Continuing Resolutions since that time. Continuing Resolutions, which fund the federal government for periods of time less than one fiscal year, are considered by many in both parties to be an inferior funding method because it encourages spending without close examination by agencies, departments, and Members of Congress.