Ending Hyde Amendment

Floor Speech

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Ms. JUDY CHU of California. Mr. Speaker, for over 40 years the Hyde amendment has been the flagship in the assault on a woman's constitutional right to an abortion. Because of Hyde, a low-income woman is able to use her Medicaid for her healthcare needs, but not in one area--abortion.

In effect, a woman on Medicaid who faces this tough decision may be forced to forgo groceries, her utility bills, or her rent just to pay for the procedure. Even worse, she could be driven to a dangerous, back-alley abortion or seek an unlicensed practitioner. And if she cannot find the funds for the procedure and goes on to give birth, she is at greater risk of sliding deeper into poverty.

That is why I am a cosponsor of the EACH Woman Act, which would ensure that every woman has access to abortion coverage, regardless of how much she earns. We must ensure that every American woman can access her constitutional right to an abortion. We must end the Hyde amendment.

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