Steny Hoyer: “This is a very wrenching issue for every Member of the House. It is my perspective, as the Members know, on this…”

“This is a very wrenching issue for every Member of the House. It is my perspective, as the Members know, on this particular issue that this is really not about abortion. It is about Federal employees' pay and benefits. Every other employee in America gets certain benefits from their employer. Those benefits are paid in consequence of and in consideration of the services rendered by the employee to the employer. Therefore, the benefit in this case is not the Federal Government's nor the taxpayer's any longer. It is, in fact, the compensation paid to the employee. Having said that, Mr. Chairman, I know that there is a very serious disagreement on this issue and perception as to whether or not this is the application of taxpayers' funds towards a procedure that many taxpayers find unacceptable; in fact, most taxpayers find unacceptable, whether or not they are for Government action to prohibit it. Mr. Chairman, I would simply say that it has been historically my position and continues to be that this is the Federal employees compensation package. It is not ours to control one way or the other.”