GOP Ties Obamacare Funding to Stricter Abortion Rules

A debate over the future of Affordable Care Act (ACA) funding is heating up in the Senate, with Republicans signaling they will only support an extension if Democrats agree to tighter abortion restrictions, NBC News reports.

The current ACA funds, designed to help keep premiums affordable for over 20 million Americans, are set to expire at the end of the year.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, confirmed that any extension will include stricter adherence to the Hyde Amendment, which bars federal dollars from covering abortion. “A one-year extension along the lines of what [Democrats] are suggesting, and without Hyde protections — there’s just not even, doesn’t even get close,” Thune told reporters.

Other Republicans backing the approach include Senators Mike Rounds of South Dakota, Steve Daines of Montana, and Mike Lee of Utah. Rounds emphasized, “You won’t get any [Republican votes]…Because we believe strongly taxpayer dollars should not go to fund abortions.”

Democrats maintain that current ACA rules already prevent federal funds from paying for abortion and oppose further restrictions. 

Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire called the proposal “a nonstarter.” She shared with NBC News, “It’s not an issue. We already dealt with that issue.” 

Senators Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Brian Schatz of Hawaii also expressed concern that tying abortion limits to ACA funding could block an extension.

The campaign is backed by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, which has pressured lawmakers to oppose any ACA extension allowing abortion coverage. Marjorie Dannenfelser, the group’s president, told NBC News, “A vote for this extension is a vote for abortion coverage. Votes will be scored, and double-weighted, in each member’s profile on SBA Pro-Life America’s National Pro-Life Scorecard.”

Legal experts stress that federal law already segregates ACA funds from abortion coverage. Georgetown Law Professor, Katie Keith, explained, “What critics of the current policy are arguing is they want Hyde plus-plus… They want to knock out abortion coverage fully,” which could conflict with states that use separate funding to provide such coverage.

As the end-of-year deadline approaches, the funding dispute underscores the partisan standoff over health care and abortion policy.