House Republicans Quietly Push for New Abortion Restrictions in the Post-Roe Era

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Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last year, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy declared that their work was far from over. Now, with McCarthy as the speaker and Republicans in the majority, their plans are starting to take shape.

Through a series of unnoticed legislative actions, GOP lawmakers are advancing changes to abortion policies, building on the strategies employed by activists that led to the landmark court ruling. These efforts are being made by incorporating unrelated policy provisions, known as riders, into government funding bills to restrict women’s reproductive rights. However, Democrats argue that these proposals are unlikely to become law.

Connecticut Representative Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, stated that these riders not only attack women’s health but also aim to derail the federal government’s funding process. Conversely, Texas Republican Representative Kay Granger, the committee’s head, maintains that these riders preserve longstanding pro-life protections important to their party.

While using budget bills to advance their agenda is not new, it reflects a growing divide among Republicans regarding their next steps after the Supreme Court’s decision. With the court paving the way for state-by-state restrictions on abortion rights, some Republicans, particularly those running for re-election in swing districts, are hesitant or opposed to stand-alone votes on abortion proposals. They believe that such bills will remain dormant as long as Democrats control the Senate.

The new Republican push involves incorporating nearly a dozen anti-abortion measures into budget bills. For example, in the agricultural bill, Republicans seek to reverse the recent decision by the Food and Drug Administration to allow the contraception pill mifepristone to be dispensed in certified pharmacies rather than exclusively in hospitals and clinics.

Anti-abortion proposals have also made their way into the defense bill, where GOP lawmakers aim to ban paid leave and travel for military service members and their families seeking reproductive health care services. Representative Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, expressed concern over this provision and its potential impact on passing legislation.

Furthermore, Republicans want to include riders in the financial services bill that prohibit local and federal funding from being used to enforce a District of Columbia law that bans discrimination based on employees’ reproductive decisions.

Representative Suzan DelBene of Washington state, chair of the House Democrats’ campaign arm, criticized the Republicans’ approach, stating that they seem to be incapable of advancing any legislation without attempting to restrict abortion rights. She emphasized that the public is not deceived by these tactics and that abortion will be a critical issue in the upcoming election.

This broad effort by Republicans to include what critics label as “poison pills” in the appropriations process escalates the confrontation with Senate Democrats and the White House when it comes to spending bills in September, potentially increasing the likelihood of a government shutdown at the start of the new budget year on October 1.

Representative DeLauro, who previously chaired the Appropriations Committee, called Republicans’ decision to include these measures a betrayal of the agreement made between the parties years ago to avoid blocking passage of spending bills with such provisions. Democratic committee members urged their Republican counterparts to reconsider the abortion language during the bill markup sessions.

Interestingly, the Senate recently passed the military and agriculture bills out of committee without any abortion measures attached. Senator Patty Murray, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, affirmed her commitment to defending reproductive rights against further restrictions by House Republicans.

The tension between GOP factions regarding abortion legislation is evident. The Republican Study Committee, the largest group in the House GOP conference, recently issued a memo urging leaders to hold a vote on a proposal that would make health insurance plans providing elective abortion ineligible for federal funding. This bill effectively seeks to codify the Hyde Amendment, which limits government funding for most abortions. Democrats have traditionally allowed it

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More about abortion restrictions

• Supreme Court’s abortion ruling overturning Roe v. Wade
• Republican leader Kevin McCarthy’s statement on ongoing work
• House Appropriations Committee
• Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
• FDA’s decision on mifepristone dispensation
• Hyde Amendment
• Senate Appropriations Committee
• Senator Patty Murray’s statement on defending reproductive rights
• Republican Study Committee