November 8, 2021

Build Back Better Reconciliation Bill would Expand Taxpayer Funding of Abortions

The multi-trillion dollar "Build Back Better" (BBB) reconciliation spending bill (HR 5376) being considered by federal legislators would create several avenues through which taxpayer dollars would fund elective abortion.

The BBB bill includes several provisions that are not regulated by the Hyde Amendment, which has been a bipartisan addition to every federal appropriations bill for decades. Because of this, federal tax dollars allocated under the bill will be able to subsidize elective abortion. This spending could come from entities such as the Department of Health and Human Services and programs such as Medicaid.

The BBB reconciliation bill would mandate that states cover abortion under Obamacare plans. The 2010 Obamacare law allowed states to pass laws banning abortion coverage in their state exchanges, and 25 states currently passed such laws. If the BBB bill is passed, many of these state laws will be overridden.

Additionally, the BBB bill would increase subsidies for Obamacare through 2025. This means that Obamacare plans will have more taxpayer funding available to them that can be used to subsidize elective abortions.

Finally, the BBB bill would allow billions of dollars to be allocated through "public health grants." These funds could be used to fund abortion training and research or used to enable abortion-expansive policies.