Sam Brownback: “I rise to discuss the Vitter amendment to the Indian Health Care Improvement Act No. 3896. It is an important amendment.…”

“I rise to discuss the Vitter amendment to the Indian Health Care Improvement Act No. 3896. It is an important amendment. I am a cosponsor. I want to give a bit of outline on this provision. This codified within the Indian Health Care Improvement Act a provision that is referred to as the Hyde amendment that has been public law for some 25 years. Congressman Henry Hyde, whom both the Presiding Officer and myself served with in the House of Representatives, who passed away last year, was a giant on the issue, bringing the issue of life to the Congress, to the country. The so-called Hyde amendment prohibits taxpayer funding for abortions other than in case of rape, incest, and the life of the mother. This is a provision which has really not been contested for some period of the time because while we have a contentious debate about abortion in the United States, the level of the contention of the debate is much lower regarding taxpayer funding of abortion when it involves anything other than rape, incest, life of the mother. That has generally been agreed to in this body, that we should not use taxpayer money in those particular situations. What the Vitter amendment does is take that particular provision and puts it in the Indian health care bill and says that we should not fund abortions through the Indian health care provisions or Indian health care facilities other than in cases of rape, incest, or the health of the mother. Federal taxpayer dollars should not be used.”