GOP: Terminate healthcare fund or risk federally funded abortions

House Republicans on Wednesday argued that the multibillion-dollar Prevention and Public Health Fund created in last year's healthcare law must be eliminated because it could be used to fund elective abortions.

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) repeatedly called the program a "slush fund" that allows the secretary of Health and Human Services to fund any health initiative he or she wishes under the Public Health Services Act. She said this could include Title X, a significant source of funding for Planned Parenthood.

"There is no accountability whatsoever in this provision of the bill, and we want accountability for every penny of money that we are spending on behalf of American taxpayers," Foxx said on the House floor. "What we fear is that this money may be used for elective abortions, so we're also here today to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves."

Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) argued that federal law prohibits federally funded abortions. But Foxx said the so-called Hyde Amendment preventing taxpayer-funded abortions only applies to discretionary programs and that the Prevention and Public Health Fund is a mandatory program that will soon be funded at a level of $2 billion per year, and thus is not subject to Hyde Amendment restrictions on abortion.

"This slush fund is yet another Democratic trick to use taxpayer money to subsidize elective abortions," she said.

Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas) argued there is no risk that Prevention and Public Health Fund monies could be used to fund abortion procedures, since language similar to the Hyde Amendment was included in the healthcare law.

The two parties were debating the rule for H.R. 1217, which would end the program at issue. A vote on the rule was expected by about 3 p.m. Tuesday, after which a debate and a vote on the bill itself was expected later in the afternoon.