Washington D.C., Jul 15, 2009 / 20:02 pm
The House Rules Committee on Tuesday voted against a rule that would allow a House floor vote of an appropriations bill amendment which would restore a ban on abortion funding in the District of Columbia.
Unlike other U.S. states and territories, the budget for the District of Columbia is reviewed and modified by Congress and the President before it is approved.
In its submission for the fiscal year 2010, the Obama administration reversed the “Dornan Amendment,” introduced in 1988 to prevent both federal and local tax dollars from funding abortions in the District of Columbia. Exceptions were included for rape and a mother's life being at risk.
Under the Obama administration's alterations, the prohibition will only apply to federal tax money, and the exemptions would be expanded to include any case “where a woman suffers from a physical disorder, physical injury, or physical illness,” including those physical conditions that endanger the life of the mother.