In 1973, the Supreme Court protected a pregnant woman’s ability to choose to have an abortion through Roe v. Wade. Just three years later, Congress passed the Hyde Amendment, barring the use of federal funds to pay for abortions except in extreme cases. Congress has the ability to lift Hyde through appropriations legislation, but for decades lawmakers have enshrined Hyde as law. At All* Above All, we stand with a majority of voters who believe Hyde’s tenure has gone on long enough, and so we are working with members of Congress to reintroduce the EACH Woman Act this year. This piece of legislation will end the Hyde Amendment’s reign, and that of similar abortion funding bans, permanently.
Rep Barbara Lee, Sponsor of the EACH Woman Act
Today, 7.3 million women are potentially impacted by Hyde, half of whom are women of color. Studies show that restrictions on Medicaid-provided abortions will cause one in four poor women to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term, and that low-income women who are denied an abortion are more likely to face poverty. Not only does Hyde prevent majority low-income women of color from exercising their right to an abortion, but it has far-reaching consequences for their overall health and economic wellbeing.
The EACH Woman Act mandates that all public health insurance programs cover abortion, lift abortion coverage bans like Hyde, and prohibit the government from restricting abortion access through private insurance. Women should be able to choose when and if they will become a parent. This Act has the capacity to empower those 7.3 million women with the bodily autonomy that they’ve been denied.
Take action – visit our website to urge your representatives to support the EACH Woman Act. Support bold legislation to ensure that all women – regardless of race, income, or location – have access to abortion care.