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WASHINGTON, D.C., January 28, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – By an overwhelming margin of 227-188, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed H.R. 7, the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.”

Passed through the House Judiciary Committee on January 15, the Act would permanently enact several pro-life policies. The most prominent of these is the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funding for abortion except in cases of life of the mother, rape, and incest. Currently, the Hyde Amendment is approved annually.

H.R. 7 also prevents federal funding of health plans that include coverage for elective abortions, and eliminates federal funds for use by the District of Columbia for abortions except for so-called “non-elective” abortions, among other changes to current law.

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Rep. Chris Smith, R-NJ, introduced H.R. 7 in 2013 with Democratic Representative Dan Lipinski of Illinois. Lipinski was one of six Democrats to vote in favor of H.R. 7. One Republican, Richard Hanna of New York, voted against the legislation, and one Member, Republican Paul Broun of Georgia, voted “present.” (See the entire roll call here.)

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In a public statement, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) praised the vote, saying, “Today, the House of Representatives acted as the voice of the People and passed a bill that has been estimated to save hundreds of thousands of lives each year.”

“The House passage of H.R. 7 … codified the most bipartisan, longstanding pro-life proposal, the Hyde Amendment,” Goodlatte said. “The bill effectively frees taxpayers from subsidizing the egregious practice of abortion and insurance coverage that includes abortion.”

He also cited how “as a country, we must speak for the defenseless and allow them the fundamental human right to be born into this world.”

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins also praised passage of H.R. 7, saying, “This commonsense bill would restore government neutrality when it comes to abortion and permanently codify what has been law for over 30 years.”