Hyde Amendment

This article is about the abortion-funding amendment. For the 1997 amendment relating to court costs, see Hyde Amendment (1997).

In U.S. politics, the Hyde Amendment is a legislative provision barring the use of federal funds to pay for abortion, except to save the life of the woman, or if the pregnancy arises from incest or rape.[1][2] Before the Hyde Amendment took effect in 1980, an estimated 300,000 abortions were performed annually using federal funds.[3]

The original Hyde Amendment was passed on September 30, 1976, by the House of Representatives, with a 312–93 vote to override the veto of a funding bill for the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW).[4][5][6][7] It was named for its chief sponsor, Republican Congressman Henry Hyde of Illinois.[3] The measure represented one of the first major legislative gains by the United States anti-abortion movement following the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade.

Congress later altered the Hyde Amendment several times.[3] The version in force from 1981 until 1993 prohibited the use of federal funds for abortions, "except where the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term".[8] On October 22, 1993, President Clinton signed into law the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994.[9] The Act contained a new version of the Hyde Amendment that expanded the category of abortions for which federal funds are available under Medicaid to include cases of rape and incest.[10]

  1. ^ "Abortion Funding Ban Has Evolved Over The Years". NPR. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  2. ^ Sarah Kliff (October 2, 2011). "The Hyde Amendment at 35: a new abortion divide". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c Rovner, Julie (December 15, 2009). "Abortion Funding Ban Has Evolved Over The Years". NPR. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  4. ^ Flood, Daniel J. (September 30, 1976). "H.R.14232 - 94th Congress (1975-1976): An Act making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, and Health, Education, and Welfare, and related agencies, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1977, and for other purposes". congress.gov. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  5. ^ "House overrides veto of HEW funding bill". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. September 30, 1976. p. 1A.
  6. ^ "Labor-HEW bill forced into law over Ford veto". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). The Washington Post. October 1, 1976. p. 1.
  7. ^ "Congress overrides veto, to adjourn". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. October 1, 1976. p. 1.
  8. ^ See, e.g., Pub.L. No. 101-166, § 204, 103 Stat. 1159, 1177 (1989).
  9. ^ Pub.L. No. 103-112, 107 Stat. 1082 (1993). Uscode.house.gov
  10. ^ Id. § 509, 107 Stat. at 1113 (the 1994 Hyde Amendment).