Why Democrats Ditched the Hyde Amendment

Despite promises from 2020 presidential candidates and efforts from left-wing Democrats, the ban on federal funding for most abortions remains in place. This week, amid spending negotiations in the House, a freshman representative from Massachusetts, Ayanna Pressley, pushed a proposal , which bans reimbursement for most abortions through programs such as Medicaid, from the Health and Human Services budget. Democratic leaders quickly shut Pressley down, refusing to even bring her amendment to the House floor for a vote. Speaker Nancy Pelosi she doesn’t “see an opportunity to get rid of [Hyde]” given Republican control of the White House and Senate. This quiet face-off contrasts with the anti-Hyde rhetoric Democratic candidates are using on the 2020 campaign trail; even former Vice President Joe Biden, who consistently voted for.