Statement from URGE on the 47th Anniversary of the Hyde Amendment

Saturday, September 30, marks 47 years since Congress first passed the Hyde Amendment, banning insurance coverage for abortion for millions of low-income Americans. The Hyde Amendment, passed each year by Congress, and related policies, force people struggling to make ends meet to pay out of pocket for abortion care. Coupled with the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, the Hyde Amendment denies many the ability to make decisions about reproductive health, with the greatest harm befalling young, BIPOC and immigrant communities.

In response, Kimberly Inez McGuire, Executive Director of URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, said:

“On the 47th Anniversary of the Hyde Amendment, we solemnly mark another sad day in our nation’s ongoing human rights crisis. The Hyde Amendment is rooted in and continues to perpetuate racist and classist stereotypes about abortion seekers, denying people the health care options they need and deserve.

“Since 1976, the Hyde Amendment and related policies have banned abortion coverage for people enrolled in Medicaid, and those who receive health care or coverage through the Indian Health Service, Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, the military’s TRICARE program, federal prisons, the Peace Corps, and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. These policies disproportionately impact young, low-income, and BIPOC people.

“Even in states where abortion is still legal, the Hyde Amendment, often in combination with forced parental involvement laws, push abortion out of reach for many. Given that there are fewer and fewer places where abortion is legal in the United States, we must remove every barrier possible.

“With renewed urgency, we call on Congress to do the right thing, end the Hyde Amendment, and pass the EACH Act to stop these racist coverage bans. Young people are watching, and will keep fighting, for the future we all deserve.”