CNN is reporting this evening that Senator Tim Kaine made a “private” agreement with Hillary Clinton to support her plan to repeal the Hyde Amendment, longstanding bipartisan policy preventing taxpayer funding of elective abortions under Medicaid.
In response Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser said:
“Just 20 days ago Senator Kaine said he supported the Hyde Amendment, which stops taxpayers from funding abortion on-demand. What has changed? The Democratic Party has become so bound to the abortion industry that there is no room for conscience. Before he could be considered fit for the role of VP to Hillary Clinton, Sen. Kaine had to divest himself of even the appearance of moderation on the abortion issue. Last month, he even sponsored legislation to wipe out every state pro-life law on the books. He has received his reward and today Cecile Richards herself, the head of Planned Parenthood, gave her stamp of approval. There is no further left for the Democratic Party to go.
“Clinton, Kaine, and Richards are absolute extremists pushing the Democratic Party further and further on abortion, alienating the one-third of Democrats who call themselves pro-life. Susan B. Anthony List’s ground team has already knocked on more than 466,000 doors in battleground states reaching voters – including pro-life Democrats – confident that the Clinton-Kaine position in support of abortion on-demand, up until the moment of birth, at taxpayer’s expense, will be rejected at the ballot box.”
For the first time ever Democrats have added language in their platform calling for the repeal of the Hyde Amendment, bipartisan legislation that has protected the conscience rights of taxpayers for decades. The new language contradicts the position previously taken by several Democratic Senators, including Bob Casey, Joe Donnelly, Heidi Heitkamp, and Joe Manchin, who have all previously said they oppose forcing taxpayers to fund abortion.
