WASHINGTON, D.C., June 24, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A U.S. House panel beat back attempts to reverse a ban on the district government using its funds to pay for abortions.
The Washington Post reports that U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) submitted an amendment to the U.S. House Appropriations Committee that would allow the federal district government to use money generated from local tax revenues to fund abortions for low-income women.
The amendment would have been attached to a spending bill that reduces the level of funding the federal government gives to D.C.
However, the committee defeated the abortion funding measure along party lines, with 27 voting against, and only 20 in favor. The spending bill itself later passed.
The Post reported that the debate became heated at times.
Lee argued that “local revenues should be spent and decided by local governments and local officials.” She argued that denying the D.C. government the authority to use its local tax funds to pay for abortions was tantamount to treating it like “a colony.”
Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.), the chairman of the Finances Services and General Government subcommittee which authored the bill, said, however, that Republicans would not support the bill if it permitted any public funding for abortion, ensuring its failure.
“If we don’t get the bill to the floor with the language prohibiting abortion, I’m afraid we may run into other challenges,” she said.
The Post reports that NARAL Pro-Choice America had written a letter with other socially liberal groups requesting that no policy riders, such as the D.C. abortion funding ban, be included in the bill.