WASHINGTON, D.C. (Network Indiana) — It’s coming time again that Congress pass a new budget.
President Biden has laid out a budget proposal which members of Congress are looking over right now. A noticeable part of the budget proposal is a provision to remove the Hyde amendment.
The Hyde amendment is a law prohibiting federal money from being used to pay for abortions, except in cases where a woman’s life needs saving or in cases of rape or incest.
On Capitol Hill on Wednesday Sen. Mike Braun (R) of Indiana asked Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra if he had a hand in crafted that provision to remove the Hyde Amendment from the books.
“You’re clear that you are going to respect the law, but I think I’m more interested in what you might be interested in doing to change the law,” Braun said to Becerra in a Senate hearing. “The fact that the Hyde amendment is not part of the budget … were you part of crafting that omission?”
“Remember, senator, that President Biden before he became president said that he would against maintaining the Hyde amendment,” Becerra responded. “The budget is a reflection of what the president has said in the past. But, my obligation is to respect the law. And the law is not established by the executive, it is established by Congress.”
Becerra promised that he would respect whatever law on the issue is passed by Congress, which Braun found to be relieving. But, Braun still remained skeptical and said that the omission of the Hyde amendment from the president’s proposed budget could lead to a slippery slope of other abortion-related legislation that many Republicans are opposed to.
Braun also asked Becerra if he supports eliminating the Partial-Birth Abortion Act, which bans late-term abortions of any kind in the U.S. Becerra again reiterated that he would follow whatever law is passed by Congress, but Braun pointed out Becerra’s voting record from his time in the House of Representatives.
Becerra voted against the Partial-Birth Abortion Act when it was first discussed and passed by Congress in 2003.
