Waiving Points of Order Against Conference Report on H.R. 4818, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005

WAIVING POINTS OF ORDER AGAINST CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4818, CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2005 AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.J. RES. 114, MAKING FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2005, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES -- (House of Representatives - November 20, 2004)

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 866 and ask for its immediate consideration.

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Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. I am deeply grateful to the gentleman for yielding me this time, for his tireless service to our country, for his friendship, and I wish him and his wife Kathy all the best in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Weldon-Hyde provisions. On this Saturday morning, millions of American women are going about their business, hopefully enjoying leisure time with their families and friends, preparing for Thanksgiving, completely unaware that their Congress, their leaders are stripping them of access to a constitutional right to reproductive health care. Physicians and hospitals, let us be clear, already have the right under the conscience clause to refuse to perform abortions. The Weldon-Hyde provision would allow HMOs or other health insurance companies-HMOs and health insurance companies-to decide for any reason whatsoever it will no longer pay for, provide information or make referrals for abortion services, even if the woman's life is in danger and she is a victim of rape or incest or even if the physician as a matter of his conscience wants to perform this medical service.

Under this bill, it would be impossible for a State to ensure that poor women who are victims of rape or incest can access Medicaid-covered abortions in these narrow circumstances. This bill allows any health care entity to ignore all Federal, State and local laws pertaining to abortion services, information and referrals. While, again, there are no Federal laws that require any individual or hospital to provide abortions, there are Federal laws that women should be informed of their legal options, and this bill could overturn those options.

This bill is a gag clause denying women even necessary information to make informed decisions. Will Rogers used to say, "No man's house is safe. The legislature is in session." Women of child-bearing age, your body is not safe as long as this Republican-dominated Congress is in session.

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