Tell President Obama to Strike the Hyde Amendment from His Budget

When abortion was first legalized in 1973, federal funds were available to low-income women who sought medically necessary abortions. But four years later, Congress enacted the Hyde Amendment, which bans federal funding for abortion in the Medicaid program except under extremely limited circumstances.

Since then, the Hyde Amendment has put millions of low-income women in dangerous situations, forcing some to continue with a pregnancy even when it jeopardizes their health. The Center for Reproductive Rights has urged President Obama to strike the Hyde Amendment from his proposed budget and support its congressional repeal.  Join our effort: Tell President Obama that the federal government should not interfere with a poor woman’s decision to carry or not carry a pregnancy to term when an abortion is medically necessary.  It’s easy  to call on the President to strike the Hyde Amendment and other abortion funding restrictions from his proposed budget.  Just copy the comments that the Center for Reproductive Rights has drafted for you below and paste them here:I am writing to ask that President Obama omit all restrictions on public funding for medically necessary abortions from his proposed budget and that he support Congressional repeal of those restrictions.Too often, the central role that access to abortion plays in the reproductive lives and health of individual women and families is lost in the controversial politics of abortion. More than one million women a year have an abortion in the U.S. Each woman is making what she believes is the best decision under her particular circumstances and she expects what each of us expects when we seek medical care – affordable services delivered in a professional and dignified environment.Unfortunately, the reality for countless women seeking abortions is far from this ideal. Under Hyde for example, low-income women must scrape together money to pay for the only medically necessary service not covered by Medicaid. While she tries to raise the funds, she has to delay care and the longer she waits, the more it costs and the greater the risks to her health.  I ask that you strike the Hyde Amendment and all restrictions on abortion funding from your budget.  [Optional – add your additional comments here]Your name