Today, the House of Representatives passed the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 3). This sweeping bill would resurrect the failed “Stupak ban” from the healthcare debate, effectively banning even private coverage of abortion care, and adds a new tax penalty to ensure that the ban becomes a reality. H.R. 3 also makes permanent the current annual ban on federal abortion funding known as the “Hyde Amendment,” continues a funding ban for the District of Columbia and expands refusal clauses that allow healthcare providers to refuse to provide abortion services. Finally, it has been reported that Republicans are trying to reinstate a widely-condemned redefinition of rape through behind-the-scenes procedural tactics.

“This bill is yet another example of the House majority’s disregard for the importance of accessible healthcare for women and the wishes of the citizens of Washington, DC,” said Michael Keegan, president of People For the American Way. “Rather than address the many complex issues facing our nation, House Republicans are choosing to threaten women’s constitutional rights by attacking choice and preventive care, and they are taking every chance they get to force their social priorities on the people of Washington, DC.”

“Like most Americans, I fail to see how this bill will create jobs, improve the economy or bolster our national security,” continued Keegan. “When will Republicans in Congress stop trying to impose an extreme social agenda on the American people, and instead focus on the urgent challenges facing the nation?”