Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III and 21 other state attorneys general urged Congress to maintain the Hyde Amendment in the 2022 budget.
The amendment prohibits the use of federal funds for abortions. Members of the Biden administration removed the amendment despite its inclusion in federal budgets for the last 45 years.
This, according to a press release that Slatery and members of his staff emailed this week.
In a letter, the attorneys general called on Congress to resist the president’s efforts to force taxpayers who object to abortions to pay for them.
“The Hyde Amendment has been an area of common ground in the fight over abortion,” Slatery said in the press release.
“Prohibiting the federal funding of most abortions is what both Democrats and Republicans have supported for decades and should not be changed.”
In their letter, the attorneys general said many taxpayers object to funding abortion or moral or religious grounds and to force them to do so is unconscionable.
“Congress should resist following President Biden down this path and should instead maintain the Hyde Amendment language in the budget it ultimately passes,” according to the letter.
“Fighting for the freedom of conscience has been a hallmark of state attorneys general. We have a unique interest in the Hyde Amendment as an important protection for the consciences of the millions of Americans who oppose public funding of abortion.”
President Joe Biden, the letter went on to say, explained his abrupt reversal on the Hyde Amendment by stating that he could not “justify leaving millions of women without access to the care they need and the ability to exercise their constitutionally protected right.”
“But even if one accepts the notion that a woman has a constitutional right to an abortion, the Supreme Court has made clear that the ‘right’ is not a taxpayer-backed guarantee,” the attorneys general wrote.
The letter was led by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and signed by attorneys general from Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia.
– – –
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
The letterhead was from the Attorney General of Alabama, NOT Tennessee. Pay attention to who is leading and who is following. With a salary like his (tops in the nation), Mr. Slatery should be leading.
a real shocker would be for states like Tennessee to make an appropriation to the state of Texas on an annual basis of money to finish that wall if it were legal.
Then tell Biden and the slut to FO
I appreciate the effort, by Herb, “urging” Congress to do something about stopping the funding of abortions, BUT, the Hyde Amendment has been a toothless tiger since it’s inception! Planned Parenthood has been and still is getting our tax dollars to support their murdering of innocent babies.
AND, it sure would be nice IF Tennessee LED the nation on an important issue!
Kevin – Well stated. And it would be encouraging to see Tennessee actually lead on at least one important issue. I have no expectation of that happening with Mr. “Nice Guy” Bill lee and Slatery in office. Tennessee GOP “leaders” have no backbone. Hardly ever is a state law passed that has any genuine teeth. They are virtually all paper tigers dressed up to make the GOP look good while letting things continue to slide to the left.