Congress passed the Coronavirus aid package today, but not before House Democrats led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D–CA) tried to attach federal funding for abortion as a part of the economic stimulus plan.
Republican Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska slammed Pelosi’s attempt to ensure her party’s devotion to abortion rights at the expense of the health of the American people.
Sasse told National Review, “While schools are closing and hospitals are gearing up, Speaker Pelosi is waging unnecessary culture wars. Speaker Pelosi should be fighting the Coronavirus pandemic, not politicizing emergency funding by fighting against the bi-partisan Hyde Amendment … We need to be ramping up our diagnostic testing, not waging culture wars at the behest of Planned Parenthood. Good grief.”
The wrinkle Democrats placed in the plan came in their attempt to ensure funding of up to $1 billion for reimbursing laboratory claims. According to the Daily Caller, White House officials said that would have set a precedent that would enable all health care procedures, including abortion, to be reimbursed with federal funds. If approved, that could render Hyde Amendment worthless.
But today, the spending measure passed with an agreement between Republicans and Democrats to leave attachments to another day. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said he expected Senate approval.
Watch the video as Liz Wheeler Reveals this and the other four stories the mainstream media didn’t tell you about this week.
