Congress Should Not Restrict Use Of Local Funds For Abortion Funding In D.C., Washington Post Editorial States

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 08 Jul 2009 - 3:00 PDT

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During debate on the fiscal year 2010 appropriations bill for Washington, D.C., some House members on Tuesday "are expected to use the opportunity to introduce provisions that limit how the district may use locally derived funds," including funding for abortion services, a Washington Post editorial states. "These efforts are wrong, infringe on the district's right to self-rule and should be voted down," the editorial adds.

According to the editorial, "For years, the district has labored under a provision that prevents it from using local tax dollars to fund or subsidize abortion services." The editorial notes that the "Hyde Amendment already forbids state and local jurisdictions from using federal money for abortion services, but it does not restrict these entities from using local tax dollars."

A House subcommittee last month approved $768 million in federal funds for D.C., but Rep. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.) -- chair of the subcommittee -- "stripped the abortion provision from the appropriations bill," according to the editorial. It continues that this version of the bill is "now before the full House Appropriations Committee," and "[s]ome abortion foes in the House plan to reintroduce the abortion-funding restriction."

The editorial states, "Federal lawmakers have the right to seek limits on how federal money is used, but not to impose those same limits on states." It concludes that D.C. "should be treated with the same respect afforded every other sovereign jurisdiction in the country" (Washington Post, 7/7).

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