The Hyde Amendment Turns 36: Take Action!

Sunday, September 30th 2012 marks the 36th anniversary of the Hyde Amendment, which bans federal Medicaid funding for abortion in almost all circumstances. It was the first attack on abortion rights after Roe v. Wade made abortion legal, and the gateway bill that opened the flood of restrictions to abortion that we see today. 

We ask our allies to join us in calling for an end to the Hyde Amendment. As Marlene Gerber Fried said in her essay, "The arc of history does not bend toward justice all by itself -- it takes all of our hands."

What you can do:

Send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Let readers know that you want your tax dollars to cover abortion! (For tips on getting your letter published, click here. For addresses of your local papers, enter your ZIP code, below.)

Sign the petition to repeal the Hyde Amendment. Then get three friends to sign it too!

Donate to help ensure that no woman is forced to carry a pregnancy to term

Sample letter:

Dear Editor,

September 30, 2012 was the 36th anniversary of the discriminatory Hyde Amendment banning all federal funding of abortion.

I believe that women's lives matter and that's why I think every woman should have the ability to make the decision that’s best for her and her family, based on her own particular circumstances.

Abortion should be covered in all public and private insurance plans, including Medicaid. Taking away the ability to decide from a woman with a low income is just plain unfair. Bans on abortion coverage deny a woman the ability to find and keep a decent job or to obtain a college degree. These bans deny a woman the opportunity to build a better life for herself and her family, the chance to contribute to her community.

I call on policymakers at all levels to repeal dangerous funding bans that prevent any woman from exercising her fundamental rights.

I want my tax dollars to cover abortion!

Sincerely,

Your name, your city

For more talking points and to send your letter directly to your local newspapers, just enter your ZIP code, below:

Step 1 - Select a Recipient

Enter your ZIP code to select a newspaper in your area. After you select a paper, you'll see a screen with some suggested talking points you can click and add to your letter, if you like:

Look for papers within miles of zip code

Step 2 - Write your message





Click on a point to add it to the letter.
  • Abortion should be covered in all public and private insurance plans, including Medicaid. Taking away the ability to decide from a woman with a low income is just plain unfair.

  • The Hyde Amendment, which has prevented federal Medicaid funding of abortion for almost 40 years, is a threat to the lives of women who are living in poverty and working hard to take care of themselves and their families.

  • Abortion coverage is a matter of racial justice. Because of racial inequities in the United States, restrictions on coverage of abortion care like the Hyde Amendment disproportionately burden women of color.

  • Women’s lives matter. The Hyde Amendment and all other policies that restrict a woman’s access to abortion care disregard the importance of a woman’s life, her hopes, and her hard work on behalf of her family and her future. Bans on abortion coverage deny a woman the ability to find and keep a decent job or to obtain a college degree. These bans deny a woman the opportunity to build a better life for herself and her family, the chance to contribute to the community.

  • The cost of a first-trimester abortion can be more than one-third of what a poverty-level family lives on in a month.

  • Simply put: I want my tax dollars to cover abortion.