On the recordMay 4, 2011
I yield myself 2 minutes. We here need to talk straight to the American people. This bill does not codify the Hyde amendment. It goes well beyond it. We don't need to codify the Hyde amendment. It's the law of the land. The purpose of this bill is to go beyond it, and that's what you should acknowledge. {time} 1500 In doing so, you cross a very, very important line. This bill is going nowhere in the Senate. Where it can go is everywhere in interfering with a person's access to health care, or with the use of their own money for their own purposes as they choose. The logic here, if it becomes precedent, could be used, for example, to prevent a health policy falling under the Tax Code if the procedure relates to a development that occurred because of stem cell research. We should not be doing that. It takes away the ability to use an itemized deduction. We should not do that. Where does this stop? Where does it stop? It crosses a line for the first time. It does not codify. It threatens crossing a line we should not in terms of the ability of people to provide health care and use their own resources. I reserve the balance of my time.
