Democrats advance spending bill that would overturn the Hyde Amendment

Republicans blasted the effort to repeal the amendment after 40 years and said it could impact government funding negotiations.

House Democrats on Monday took steps to advance a new spending bill for the Department of Health and Human Services without the Hyde Amendment, a 40-year-old provision that has banned federal funding for most abortions. In moving the spending bill to the full House Appropriations Committee for debate and a vote, Democrats followed through on President Joe Biden's proposed budget, which also did not include the amendment. House Democrats had indicated they would go this route and in doing so have effectively guaranteed that abortion access will be a central focus of government funding negotiations between Democrats and Republicans -- who have the votes to block the Democrats' measure from passing the Senate without changes. The full House panel is expected to approve the bill and send the measure to the chamber for a vote. It's not yet clear if the measure can clear the narrowly divided chamber without the Hyde Amendment, given Democrats' slim majority. As a senator, the devoutly Catholic Biden supported the Hyde Amendment over the years, but Biden reversed his stance in 2019 as he sought the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.