HR-3

Michael J. New at NRO:

Today the House of Representatives will likely be voting on H.R. 3, the No Taxpayer Funding of Abortion Act, sponsored by Reps. Chris Smith (R., N.J.) and Dan Lipinski (D., Ill.). This bill would permanently prohibit the funding of abortion in any federal program. Specifically it would make pro-life riders like the Hyde Amendment permanent law. Furthermore, it would also permanently ban taxpayer-funded abortions in the District of Columbia. Even though the Hyde Amendment passes every year, it is always possible a partisan shift in Congress could jeopardize its passage. The enactment of H.R. 3 would make the funding restrictions included in the Hyde Amendment permanent....

....Regardless of the outcome of today’s vote, pro-lifers should take heart. In the aftermath of the 1994 election, Congress never even voted on defunding Planned Parenthood. This year, there was already a concerted effort to remove Planned Parenthood funding from the remainder of the FY 2011 budget. The ban on taxpayer-funded abortions in the District of Columbia was reinstated. Now Congress is voting on a bill that would effectively make the Hyde Amendment permanent. Indeed, the increased attention that this Congress is giving to sanctity-of-life issues is evidence of the increased popularity and influence of the pro-life movement.

And the good news is.... It passed the House 251 to 175.