Four Myths Democrats Know To Be False
Reid The Bill
MYTH 1: Hyde Amendment Language Was Sneaked In
SEN. PATTY MURRAY (D-WA): “The provision the Republicans are hoping to sneak in…” (Sen. Murray, Congressional Record, S.1404, 3/11/15)
- MURRAY: “The Republicans are trying to pull a fast one here on the human trafficking bill…” (“Human Trafficking Bill Hits A Snag In The Senate,” The New York Times, 3/10/15)
REALITY: ‘Democratic Staff Members Apparently Did Not Read The Bill’
The Cornyn bill was introduced January 13. 2015. (S.178, Introduced 1/13/15)
“…on Monday [March 9], Democrats discovered the abortion language that had been sitting on page four. They're now refusing to allow Republicans a final vote on the bill, potentially carrying out a filibuster that could last well into next week.” (“McConnell Puts Democrats In A Box,” National Journal, 3/10/15)
- JOHN STANTON: “Apparently Dems didn't know about abortion language until a lobbyist informed last night.” (Twitter, @dcbigjohn, 3/10/15)
- “Democrats privately conceded they should have noticed the provision...” (“Reid: Strip Abortion From Trafficking Bill Or It Fails,” AP, 3/11/15)
- “[Republicans] say that it was included in the legislation all along and that Democratic staff members apparently did not read the bill. Sheepishly, top Democrats admit that might be true. The future of the legislation remains uncertain, but the embarrassing episode reinforced the advantage of the old refrain often heard on Capitol Hill: Read the Bill.” (“Trafficking Legislation Flounders As Lawmakers Misread Bill,” The New York Times, 3/11/15)
- “[Democrats] also conceded they were familiar with the arcane legislative language because Republicans had informed Democrats of their desire to include the abortion provision late last year.” (“How Abortion Politics Scuttled A Human-Trafficking Bill,” Politico, 3/12/15)
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV): “…these provisions, my caucus did not know about them. You can blame it on staff, blame it on whoever you want to blame it on, but we didn't know it was in the bill, and we are not going to, as (inaudible) said, the bill will not come off this floor when that language is in the bill.” (Sen. Reid, Press Conference, 3/10/15)
- REID: “We can give all the speeches out here we want saying somebody should have read the bill more closely.” (Sen. Reid, Floor Remarks, 3/11/15)
SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): ‘What do you want me to tell you? We missed it’ “What do you want me to tell you? We missed it!” said Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) when asked why Democrats didn’t recognize the language this time. ‘It was an obscure reference.’” (“How Abortion Politics Scuttled A Human-Trafficking Bill,” Politico, 3/12/15)
MYTH 2: ‘Would Make The Hyde Amendment Permanent’
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV): “There is a provision in the legislation dealing with abortion. … it would make the Hyde Amendment permanent.” (Sen. Harry Reid, Floor Statement, 3/11/15)
SEN. PATTY MURRAY (D-WA): “The provision … would be a permanent extension of the so-called Hyde amendment.” (Sen. Murray, Congressional Record, S.1404, 3/11/15)
REALITY: Apparently Democrats Still Haven’t Read The Bill
S.178, Page 3: “IN GENERAL.—From amounts in the Fund, in addition to any other amounts available, and without further appropriation, the Attorney General, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall, for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2020, use amounts available in the Fund to award grants or enhance victims’ programming” (S.178, Introduced 1/13/15)
MYTH 3: Hyde Amendment ‘Unprecedented’
SEN. MAZIE HIRONO (D-HI): Hyde Amendment ‘unprecedented’ “This is an unprecedented … expansion of government's role in women's health care decisions.” (Sen. Hirono, Congressional Record, S.1462, 3/13/15)
REALITY: ‘Abortion Restrictions … Have Been Enacted In A Variety Of Contexts’
CRS: “In addition to the temporary funding limitations contained in appropriation bills, abortion restrictions of a more permanent nature have been enacted in a variety of contexts since 1970.” (Congressional Research Service, “Abortion: Judicial History And Legislative Response,” 1/23/15)
- CRS: “For example, the Family Planning Services and Population Research Act of 1970, P.L. 91-572 (42 U.S.C. 300a-6)… The Legal Services Corporation Act of 1974, P.L. 93-355 (42 U.S.C. 2996f(b)(8))… The Pregnancy Discrimination Act, P.L. 95-555 (42 U.S.C. 2000e(k))… The Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1988, P.L. 100-259 (20 U.S.C. 1688)… [and] The Civil Rights Commission Amendments Act of 1994, P.L. 103-419 (42 U.S.C. 1975a(f))…” (Congressional Research Service, “Abortion: Judicial History and Legislative Response,” 1/23/15)
- CRS: “Beginning with P.L. 95-457, the Department of Defense appropriations measures have contained Hyde-type abortion limitations. This recurring prohibition was eventually codified and made permanent by P.L. 98-525, the Department of Defense Authorization Act of 1984.” (Congressional Research Service, “Abortion: Judicial History and Legislative Response,” 1/23/15)
- The State Children's Health Insurance Program contains Hyde-type abortion limitations. (42 U.S.C. 1397ee(c)(1))
MYTH 4: Hyde Amendment ‘Extremely Politically Charged’
SEN. BARBARA BOXER (D-CA): Hyde Amendment ‘extremely politically charged’ “This is a clear pattern injecting these unrelated, extremely politically charged provisions into key pieces of legislation.” (Sen. Barbara Boxer, Floor Statement, 3/13/15)
REALITY: Little Support For Using Public Funds For Elective Abortion
MARIST POLL: “There is little support for using tax dollars to pay for a woman’s abortion. 68% of Americans, regardless of gender, oppose the use of public funding for this purpose.” (Marist Poll, P.5, 1/15)
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SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS CENTER
Related Issues: Senate Democrats, Defending Life, Combating Sex Trafficking
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