The USCCB has really done a good job with this, a side-by-side comparison of the Hyde Amendment, Congress’ own health plan, and the Nelson/Hatch/Casey amendment, which was tabled by the Senate last Tuesday. Its point is glaringly obvious: the Nelson/Hatch/Casey amendment is almost verbatim the same as what the Senate just reaffirmed in the Consolidated Appropriations Act on Sunday. In other words, if you’re looking to preserve the Hyde Amendment – nothing more, nothing less – like Congress does in virtually every other area, support the Nelson/Hatch/Casey amendment. If you’re not willing to support the Nelson/Hatch/Casey amendment, don’t pretend it’s someone else who’s “playing politics with abortion,” or “putting abortion into the healthcare debate.”
And if you’re wondering, Casey’s newest proposal (where the government funds abortion with taxpayer money, but taxpayers opt out) is obviously unacceptable. Casey, Jr., is no Casey, Sr.