March 30, 2021

Sen. Tammy Duckworth Introduces Bill to Require Taxpayer Funding of Abortion

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
Last Thursday, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced a bill that would require all health insurance plans (including Medicaid) to cover elective abortions.

Duckworth's bill, titled the "Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act," would reverse Hyde Amendment protections in existing law so that taxpayer-funded health plans must cover the cost of elective abortions.

When speaking about her bill at a press conference, Duckworth said that it was designed to increase access to abortion for people of color.

“This isn’t about what side you’re on in the abortion debate, it’s about equality and opportunity plain and simple,” Duckworth said. “Whatever you think about the procedure, we should all agree that what’s legal for wealthy Americans should not be so inaccessible for Americans of color and low-income Americans.”

This is a common talking-point for pro-abortion politicians, but it is not supported well by the facts. The Guttmacher Institute, a pro-abortion organization that records abortion statistics, reports that while African Americans only make up 13 percent of the U.S. Population, they also account for 36 percent of the nation's abortions. This overrepresentation- while notable- indicates that African Americans are not having a difficult time accessing abortion. 

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) has sponsored the House version of the bill.