Res. No. 670-A
Resolution calling upon the United States House of Representatives to vote against H.R. 3, a bill which will raise taxes on millions of Americans and severely limit women's right to access abortion services.
By Council Member Ferreras and The Speaker (Council Member Quinn) and Council Members Brewer, Chin, Comrie, Dickens, Dromm, Foster, Jackson, James, Koppell, Koslowitz, Lander, Mark-Viverito, Mealy, Mendez, Palma, Nelson, Rose, Seabrook, Van Bramer, Garodnick, Crowley and Sanders Jr.
Whereas, On March 23, 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) into law; and
Whereas, This federal health care reform legislation sought to expand access to health insurance, create insurance exchanges, provide tax breaks for small businesses to provide health insurance to their employees and end various abuses by the insurance industry including prohibiting discrimination against individuals with preexisting conditions; and
Whereas, In the final stages of negotiating the legislation, several Representatives sought to prohibit any federal health insurance or insurance exchanges from covering abortion services; and
Whereas, PPACA includes restrictive provisions, known as the Nelson language, that impose unnecessary administrative burdens on consumers who purchase plans that offer abortion coverage, placing essential reproductive care further out of reach for low-income women; and
Whereas, If an individual who receives federal public assistance purchases coverage in a plan that chooses to cover abortion services, the federal funds must not be used for the purchase of abortion coverage and must be segregated from private premium or state funds; and
Whereas, This policy also applies to the state health insurances exchanges created under PPACA ensuring that federal funding will not subsidize abortion services and segregating private funding that does cover abortion; and
Whereas, H.R. 3, the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act," was recently introduced in the United States House of Representatives; and
Whereas, H.R. 3 would raise taxes on healthcare coverage for families, women, and small businesses by banning tax credits for businesses that provide health plans with abortion coverage and requiring self-employed individuals to pay taxes on insurance plans that cover abortion; and
Whereas, According to a study conducted by the Alan Guttmacher Institute, a leading sexual and reproductive health policy institute, 87 percent of private insurance plans cover abortion services; and
Whereas, H.R 3 would restrict access to abortion services by placing an added financial burden on families whose health plans cover abortion; and
Whereas, H.R. 3 would revive the core provision of the failed Stupak-Pitts amendment by imposing a ban on abortion coverage for women in state health insurance exchanges, even if they use their own, private funds to pay for the coverage; and
Whereas, This ban would necessitate that a woman purchase separate abortion-only health insurance coverage, and
Whereas, The National Women's Law Center asserts that there is no evidence that abortion-only coverage exists, as there is no evidence of the availability of such coverage in the five states which allow abortion-only coverage through a separate rider; and
Whereas, H.R. 3 would permanently deny low-income women access to abortion services by codifying the Hyde Amendment, a rider to the appropriations bill that currently requires annual re-authorization; and
Whereas, The Hyde Amendment bans the use of federal funds for abortion services, preventing women on Medicaid, servicewomen, and certain other federal employees from accessing abortion coverage; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the United States House of Representatives to vote against H.R. 3, a bill which will raise taxes on millions of Americans and severely limit women's right to access abortion services.
LCC
LS 2092
2/25/11