Hatch: Dems Want to Use Federal $$ to Fund Abortions

"Democrats are positioning themselves to defeat a long-time rule that prevents federal dollars from funding abortions, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said Wednesday. Every fiscal year, Congress must renew the Hyde Amendment, a provision first enacted in the 1970s following the Supreme Court's decision in the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion case, he explained. The senator's latest amendment to the Senate Finance Committee's healthcare bill would have permanently codified the Hyde rule into law. However, Hatch's proposal was defeated Wednesday on a close 10-13 vote -- an outcome, Hatch said, that indicated Democrats intended to 'do away with the Hyde amendment if they can.'"