WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement on President Biden’s call to eliminate the Hyde Amendment in his Fiscal Year 2022 budget.

“I applaud President Biden’s decision to honor his commitment to strike the Hyde Amendment from his Fiscal Year 2022 presidential budget proposal. 

“For decades, the racist and discriminatory Hyde Amendment has stood in the way of our fundamental right to safe and legal abortion care, and has restricted the bodily autonomy of millions, particularly our most vulnerable low-income, Black, brown, and Indigenous communities. 

“Removal of the Hyde Amendment has been a longstanding priority for me. As a Boston City Councilor, I introduced and led the passage of a resolution calling on Congress to reinstate abortion coverage and enact the EACH Act, which would permanently remove the Hyde Amendment. Now, as a Member of Congress, I am proud to lead the EACH Act with my sisters in service, Congresswomen Lee, Schakowsky, and DeGette. 

“As Republican Governors and the Supreme Court continue their assault on the right to abortion care, I am deeply grateful for the organizers, advocates, care providers, and communities in Massachusetts and across the country who have been relentless in their pursuit of reproductive freedom. Let me be clear — abortion care is health care, and health care is a fundamental human right that must be guaranteed to all.

“The Hyde Amendment’s days are numbered. A presidential budget free of Hyde is a clear call to action for this pro-choice majority Congress and our work will not be complete until we finally pass a federal budget that reflects our values and affirms the dignity of all people.”

As Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus’s Abortion Rights and Access Task Force, Congresswoman Pressley has fought tirelessly to repeal the Hyde Amendment and protect comprehensive reproductive health care for all, including abortion care.

• Over the course of her first term serving in Congress, Congresswoman Pressley has filed amendments every year to repeal Hyde from annual Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bills and in July published a Medium post on the importance of doing so.
• In April, Rep. Pressley, along with Congresswomen Barbara Lee (CA-13), Diana DeGette (CO-01) and Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), led a group of 131 Democratic members in reintroducing the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act or the EACH Act, which would repeal the Hyde Amendment and ensure that all people, regardless of income, insurance or zip code, can make personal reproductive health care decisions without interference from politicians.
• In May 2020, she led more than 155 Members of Congress in calling on House Democratic leadership to ensure that any future COVID-19 relief packages rejected Republican efforts to use the public health crisis to diminish abortion access.
• In May 2019, she led more than 100 colleagues in introducing H.Con.Res.40, a resolution reaffirming the House of Representative’s support for Roe v. Wade. In June 2019, Rep. Pressley introduced H.R. 3296, the Affordability is Access Act, to make oral contraception available without a prescription. 

In September 2016, as a member of the Boston City Council, Pressley championed a resolution calling on Congress and President Obama to repeal the Hyde Amendment and reinstate insurance coverage for abortion services.

# # #