June 25, 2021

How to contact elected officials regarding the Hyde Amendment, and what to say

By Natalie Hoefer

There are several ways to find out who your elected officials are and to contact them to tell them to keep the Hyde Amendment, which prevents tax dollars from being used to fund abortion.

In late May, President Joe Biden unveiled his proposed budget of $6 trillion for fiscal year 2022 that would include spending to improve and modernize the nation’s infrastructure, provide free pre-K and community college, and increase domestic programs aimed at boosting public health and helping the poor.

His plan, however, does not include the Hyde Amendment, which has been included in spending bills since 1976 to prohibit federal tax dollars from directly funding abortion except in cases of rape, incest or when the life of the woman would be endangered.

The U.S. of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities suggests reaching out to federal legislators throughout the summer as the proposed budget that would include the Hyde Amendment makes its way through various committees.

Where to go:

• Go to notaxpayerabortion.com, enter your e-mail and name to sign a petition.

• Go to cutt.ly/ContactLegislators, which has a pre-written, editable note regarding the Hyde Amendment. This site helps direct the message to your elected officials.

• To find your officials and their e-mail or phone number to contact them directly, go to votervoice.net/INDIANACC/home and enter your zip code under “Find Officials.”

What to say:

Legislators are busy and receive lots of communication. The key is to first note that you’re a constituent, keep your message brief and to the point, and perhaps most importantly, do not be rude. Otherwise the legislator may form a bad impression of those promoting the right-to-life cause.

Here are some tips on what to say or write as suggested by the USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activity:

• “I’m a constituent of Representative/Senator X.”

• “Regardless of where one stands on abortion, there have been 45 years of bipartisan agreement that taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for abortion.”

• “I urge Representative/Senator X to protect the Hyde amendment and to oppose any bill, including appropriation bills, that expand taxpayer funding of abortion.” †

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