When abortion was legalized in 1973 after the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade, the procedure was covered by Medicaid and was therefore available to low-income women. But in 1979, Rep. Henry Hyde (R-IL) sponsored an amendment to the annual Labor/Health and Human Services Appropriations bill which prohibited use of federal funds to pay for abortions. After the Hyde Amendment was signed into law, Medicaid benefits for low-income women no longer covered abortion. In addition, health plans for federal employees, military personnel, and women in federal prisons ceased paying for abortion procedures. In 1981, the Hyde Amendment was revised to allow Medicaid to cover abortions that were deemed necessary to save the life of the mother, and in 1993 the law was further relaxed to allow federally- funded abortions in cases of rape and incest. Several states resisted the new exceptions to the Hyde Amendment, but were ordered to comply by federal courts even if the state's laws on abortion was more restrictive than the federal law.

Federal funding for abortions services was highlighted in a recent controversy involving presidential candidate Al Gore. The Vice President's rival for the Democratic nomination, Bill Bradley, attempted to call into question Gore's record on choice by revealing that while in Congress, Gore had repeatedly voted to prohibit federal funding of abortion. Gore explained that his while his beliefs on abortion had evolved over time, he was solidly pro-choice. Gore was endorsed by the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL) and ultimately defeated Bradley in the race for the party's nomination.

On One Hand...

Denying Medicaid coverage of abortion is unfair to low-income women, since it prevents them from obtaining affordable, safe abortion services. Low-income women often cannot afford to pay for any medical procedures, including abortion procedures, and are forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term. This perpetuates the cycle of poverty. If a low-income woman does decide to seek an abortion, she must use money that would otherwise be spent on food or rent to pay for the procedure.

On the Other Hand...

The government should not participate in killing unborn children by allowing Medicaid to cover abortions. Tax dollars fund the Medicaid program, and many tax-payers are vehemently opposed to abortion. They should not have to fund procedures for low-income women who do not practice effective family planning.

• As of December 1995, there were 8.5 million women of child-bearing age receiving Medicaid benefits

• Approximately 93% of all induced abortions are done for elective, non-medical reasons (NRLC)

• In the last five years, more than 120 votes have been taken in Congress on an array of measures that would have abolished or severely restricted the right to abortion. Anti-choice forces won in almost 100 of these votes.

• There have been approximately 36.5 million abortions in the twenty five years since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized unrestricted abortion on January 22, 1973. (Center for Disease Control)

• Studies have shown that from 18 to 23 percent of Medicaid-eligible women who live in states that do not provide funding for abortion have been forced to carry their pregnancies to term.

• For every public dollar spent on abortion, four dollars are saved within two years in public expenditures for medical and welfare services.

ACLU; NARAL