WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) — Two Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have introduced legislation to permanently ban taxpayer dollars from helping illegal immigrants travel for the purpose of abortion.
Introduced by Reps. Mark Harris (R-NC) and Mary Miller (R-IL), the ‘‘No Taxpayer Funded Abortion Travel for Illegal Aliens Act’’ states simply that “No Federal funds may be used to assist an illegal alien in accessing covered abortion services,” including travel, lodging, meals, child care, translators, doulas, or “patient education” and information services.
“No American should ever have their tax dollars used to shuttle illegal aliens across state lines for abortions,” Harris declared. “That’s why we’re fighting to stop these outrageous Biden-era policies that turned federal programs into a taxpayer-funded Uber for abortions. We’re going to end it.”
“Joe Biden turned federal agencies into abortion traffickers by directing the Office of Refugee Resettlement to arrange and finance abortion travel for illegal alien minors,” Miller added. “President Trump’s administration is rightfully moving to reverse this shocking abuse of taxpayer dollars, and I’m proud to partner with Congressman Mark Harris on legislation that permanently ends it.”
The Biden administration had taken the position that the Hyde Amendment, which bars federal funds to most abortions, only applied to money “directly expended for” the “discrete medical procedure” of abortion and not indirect expenses such as travel expenses. That creative interpretation was part of former President Joe Biden’s “whole-of-government” effort to preserve abortion “access” in the immediate wake of Roe v. Wade’s overturn.
In July, the Trump Justice Department rescinded that conclusion, and, in October, its Department of Health & Human Services reversed a corresponding Biden-era health rule. But legislation is still needed to keep the status quo from being reversed yet again by a future Democratic administration.
Within weeks of returning to office, Trump began enforcing the Hyde Amendment, reinstated the Mexico City Policy, which forbids non-governmental organizations from using taxpayer dollars for most abortions abroad, and cut millions in pro-abortion subsidies by freezing U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) spending.
In March, the Trump administration froze Title X “family planning” grants to nonprofits it said violated its executive orders on immigration and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, including Planned Parenthood affiliates in nine states.
Other Republicans have proposed standalone measures to fully cut off Planned Parenthood’s government funding: the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act, which permanently bans federal funds from being used for abortion; and the Defund Planned Parenthood Act, which disqualifies Planned Parenthood and its affiliates specifically.
However, they would require 60 votes to make it through the Senate, as would Harris and Miller’s latest proposal. President Trump has recently started demanding that Senate Republicans eliminate the filibuster so they can pass a wider range of legislation with their narrow majority, but so far GOP leaders have resisted, fearful of the transformative policies Democrats could push through as a result the next time they regain power.
