WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, bold U.S. House legislators—led by U.S. Representatives Barbara Lee, Diana DeGette, Ayanna Pressley, and Jan Schakowsky—introduced the EACH Act, which ends the Hyde Amendment and guarantees insurance coverage for abortion.
This is the first federal bill filed this Congress to ensure more equitable access to abortion care and comes as a new poll by Ipsos conducted on behalf of All* Above All found that nearly six in ten Americans (58%) support expanding Medicaid insurance coverage to include abortion care coverage, and an equal number oppose the current Hyde policy that bans abortion care coverage for recipients of federal health coverage or care, including Medicaid.
The EACH Act comes after the majority of people, including folks of color and young people, made it clear this midterm election that they support abortion access following the Supreme Court’s decision to end Roe v. Wade.
Even when abortion was still legal, the Hyde Amendment put abortion care out of reach, particularly for people working to make ends meet, women of color, young people, and immigrants. The same people are bearing the brunt of state abortion bans and restrictions now taking effect around the country.
“Following a pivotal midterm election, the EACH Act is the type of bold legislation we need to build a world where abortion is truly affordable. For decades, even with the protections of Roe v. Wade, the Hyde Amendment has pushed care out of reach for people working to make ends meet, especially people of color,” said Morgan Hopkins, President of All* Above All. “The harm is now worse as anti-abortion state politicians rush to ban abortion. Black, Indigenous, Latina, AAPI, and women of color have been organizing to end Hyde for years. We applaud bold legislators in the U.S. House for introducing the EACH Act today and putting us on a pathway to abortion justice.”
“Let’s be clear: the Hyde Amendment is blatantly racist and classist, and keeping it in place is yet another attempt by extremist, out-of-touch Republicans to strip people of this country of their reproductive freedom,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee. “For over 40 years, Hyde has forced poor women who are denied insurance coverage for abortions to carry pregnancies to term or pay for care when they’re already struggling to make ends meet. With extreme abortion laws in place in half the country, it is more critical than ever that we fight to make abortion accessible wherever possible. It is past time for our policies to ensure everyone can get the health care they need without shame, punishment, or financial ruin. It is time to take a step forward, not back. It is time to repeal Hyde once and for all.”
Studies show that when politicians place restrictions on Medicaid coverage for abortion, they force one in four poor women to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term. Research also shows that denying abortion coverage forces low-income women deeper into poverty.
“At the National Network of Abortion Funds, our nearly 100 member funds see firsthand how the Hyde Amendment has disproportionately harmed abortion fund callers, many of whom are enrolled in Medicaid or uninsured, unemployed or have limited employment,” said Oriaku Njoku, Executive Director of the National Network of Abortion Funds and All* Above All Steering Committee member. “As more states continue to restrict or outright ban abortion since the Dobbs decision, they are also forced to overcome economic injustices like travel costs and logistics, low wages, a lack of paid time off, and childcare needs that can push abortion care even further out of reach. The EACH Act is a step toward ensuring that abortion fund callers are able to use their insurance to cover their abortion and brings us one step closer toward ensuring that people have accessible abortion care no matter their walk of life.”
“Communities of color have always been disproportionately harmed by restrictions on abortion care. Many Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women, especially immigrants, rely on Medicaid and federally funded health clinics to receive care but are denied abortion coverage due to the Hyde Amendment,” said Sung Yeon Choimorrow, Executive Director of National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF). “The EACH Act is critical to granting AAPI women and immigrants their right to access safe and affordable abortion care. We are so grateful for the leadership of Reps. Barbara Lee, Ayanna Pressley, Diana DeGette, and Jan Schakowsky, and All* Above All at this critical time when everything is on the line.”
“As a provider of abortion care to communities who have long been harmed by the Hyde Amendment and related restrictions, I am grateful for House leadership and their effort to raise, once again, the critical nature of abortion access.” said Dr. Jamila Perritt, OB-GYN and abortion provider in Washington D.C., President & CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health and an All* Above All Steering Committee member. “The ability to make decisions about our ability to decide if, when, and how we build our families is a basic human right. Everyone should be able to access abortion care in their communities and should have coverage for that care. No one should be forced to make decisions about their health care based on their ability to afford that care. As we continue navigating continued attacks on abortion care in states across the country, it is more important than ever that the House and Senate continue to take bold steps to protect and expand access to abortion care.”
“Our bodily autonomy is under attack nationwide and the racist and discriminatory Hyde Amendment is yet another barrier preventing millions from accessing safe and legal abortion care – particularly our Black, brown, low-income, and other marginalized communities,” said Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. “With Republicans’ ongoing assault on reproductive justice, we must use every tool available to affirm abortion care as the fundamental human right that it is. The EACH Act would repeal Hyde and put us one step closer to dismantling the systems of oppression that push comprehensive health care out of reach for many. I am proud to join my colleagues on the Pro-Choice Caucus to introduce this critical bill and I am grateful to All* Above All and our allies in the movement for their partnership.”
“Every person should have the freedom to make their own reproductive health care decisions regardless of their income, race, where they work, what zip code they live in, or how they get their insurance,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “The Hyde Amendment is a racist, discriminatory policy designed to put reproductive and economic freedom out of reach for women of color and low-income women who need an abortion. By restricting Medicaid coverage of abortion, the Hyde Amendment robs those working to make ends meet of the freedom to control their lives and decisions about what is best for their families. The EACH Act, which I am proud to reintroduce with Reps. Lee, DeGette, and Pressley, will finally repeal the Hyde Amendment. Whether at home or abroad, abortion is health care and health care is a human right.”
The EACH Act is a core tenet of the Action Plan for Abortion Justice to ensure abortion care is affordable for all and was introduced with 162 co-sponsors and 85 endorsing organizations.
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All* Above All unites individuals across the country and over 150 organizations to build a future where abortion is affordable, available, and supported for anyone who seeks care. As a catalyst for abortion justice, we accelerate strategy, shift narrative, move policy, and build networks to ensure that care is there when we need it. Learn more at allaboveall.org and follow our social media at @allaboveall.