Pelosi Caught Sneaking Abortion Funding Loopholes into Coronavirus Bill
Democratic House speaker accused of using COVID-19 crisis to push Democrat policies
© press
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been caught trying to sneak loopholes for abortion funding into a bill for coronavirus measures amid the spiraling COVID-19 pandemic, according to reports.
Pelosi reportedly sought to include measures in the coronavirus economic stimulus plan that would potentially guarantee federal funding for abortion, according to multiple senior White House officials.
Speaking to the Daily Caller, those officials alleged that Pelosi tried to lobby for “several” provisions that stalled bipartisan commitment to the effort while negotiating the stimulus with U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.
Among the provisions was a mandate for up to $1 billion to reimburse laboratory claims.
White House officials say the measure would set a precedent of health spending without protections outlined in the Hyde Amendment.
Under the Hyde Amendment, clinics are blocked from receiving federal funding if they perform abortions, and Democrats have been pressuring the Trump Administration to scrap it since the presdient very first took office.
© press
“A new mandatory funding stream that does not have Hyde protections would be unprecedented,” one White House official explained.
“Under the guise of protecting people, Speaker Pelosi is working to make sure taxpayer dollars are spent covering abortion — which is not only backward but goes against historical norms.”
A second White House official referred to the provision as a “slush fund” and yet another questioned, “what the Hyde Amendment and abortion have to do with protecting Americans from coronavirus?”
Pelosi and Mnuchin were engaged in negotiations Thursday morning to finalize the text of the legislation.
Politico confirmed that the Hyde Amendment provision was eventually removed from the stimulus later on Thursday and will hit the House floor as a separate bill.
Despite Trump’s assurance that he would sign any stimulus bill that Congress approved, several Republicans rejected the stimulus offered by Pelosi and Mnuchin.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Thursday morning he was totally opposed to Pelosi’s plan and wanted to draft a new proposal over the next 24-48 hours.
© press
Pelosi pushed back on that suggestion during her Thursday press conference.
“Families have needs,” she stated.
“We don’t need 48 hours. We need to just make a decision to help families right now.”
“I’m not sticking around because they don’t want to agree to language,” Pelosi said of Congress’s upcoming recess week.
“Right now we have to find our common ground, work together, to get this done as soon as possible.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi discusses what is included in the coronavirus response bill: "It's about putting families first" https://t.co/4I1JUH6mAS pic.twitter.com/4zRZVfVfr5
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) March 12, 2020
Speaker Pelosi says lawmakers should "save it for another day" if they have complaints about the coronavirus response bill: "We don't need 48 hours. We need to just make a decision to help families right now ... in an emergency status where we have to get the job done" pic.twitter.com/Ek1QeksXZ6
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) March 12, 2020
Pelosi told reporters lawmakers should "save it for another day" if they have complaints about her provisions.
