Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday said former Vice President and 2020 Democratic presidential rival Joseph R. Biden is wrong to oppose taxpayer funding being used for abortions — a ban that’s been a longstanding provision in federal law.
Ms. Warren said at an MSNBC town hall that the provision, known as the Hyde Amendment, and other restrictions on abortion disproportionately affect lower-income women.
“Under the Hyde amendment, under every one of these efforts to try to chip away or to push back or to get rid of Roe v. Wade, understand this. Women of means will still have access to abortions. Who won’t will be poor women,” the Massachusetts Democrat said.
“It’s been the law for a while, and it’s been wrong for a long time. Because it really is. It’s just discrimination,” she said.
The Hyde Amendment generally bans federal funding in programs like Medicaid from being used to pay for abortions, except in the cases of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is in danger.
Mr. Biden’s campaign said Wednesday that he supports the provision, as he has in the past, putting him at odds with the 2020 Democratic field on an issue that’s front and center in the wake of newly passed abortion bans in states like Alabama and Georgia.
The amendment is a staple of annual appropriations bills Congress passes, which means the sitting senators and congressmen running for president who say they want to repeal it have likely voted to uphold the provision at one time or another.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.