WASHINGTON (October 13) – Congressman Spencer Bachus (AL-6) today voted to prohibit the use of taxpayer money from being used to pay for abortions under Obamacare. 

Bachus is a sponsor of The Protect Life Act, which passed the House by a vote of 251-172. The legislation would ensure that the Hyde Amendment, which bans the use of public funding for abortion, applies to the new government health care law. Bachus has voted for full repeal of the law. 

Congressman Bachus’ submitted floor remarks on the bill follow. 

Never in my life will I forget the Sunday afternoon when this House, under the previous majority, passed a health care mandate that permitted taxpayer funding of abortions.  

It remains as inconceivable to me now, as it was then, that the very first act by our government on an innocent and defenseless life could be to end it. We all remember the assurances we heard that the bill would respect the Hyde Amendment, which has enjoy bipartisan support in this House for decades. Many of us knew better.  

The ink had barely dried on the legislation before instances came up of taxpayer money potentially being used, in one form or another, for abortion services. This House needs to state without equivocation that the Hyde Amendment fully applies to the new health care law, for however long the act may continue to be in effect. There should be no possible wiggle room for abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. 

The law also put health care providers and hospitals in the unconscionable dilemma of having to perform abortions against their own beliefs and principles. The government should not have the power to do that. This bill protects the exercise of individual conscience.  

In my view, the health care law – Obamacare, as many of us call it - is so flawed that the best approach is to repeal it altogether, but we will not get that with this President. Until that day, we must stand in support of life and innocent babies and we can do that by passing The Protect Life Act.