Federal budget director nominee expresses support for federal funding of abortion

At her first confirmation hearing yesterday, President Biden's nominee to lead his budget office, Neera Tanden, pledged to implement the President's pledge to repeal the Hyde Amendment which has blocked federal funding of abortion for decades.

The Hyde Amendment has been enacted in law each year since 1976 as a budget rider, and bars federal funding of abortions.

However, the policy has come under fire in recent years from Democratic leaders who are now advocating for its repeal.

“If you are confirmed in this role, will you advocate that the President’s budget request to Congress next year preserve the Hyde Amendment?” Hawley asked.

Tanden answered that “President Biden has supported repeal of the Hyde Amendment, and so I will anticipate how that operates in the budget process, but that is a position that he took on the campaign and has held.” In 2019, during the presidential campaign, Biden reversed his long-standing support for the Hyde Amendment.

Hawley said that the policy has long enjoyed broad bipartisan support.

“For years now, the Hyde Amendment has reflected a bipartisan commitment not to spend federal tax dollars on government-funded abortions, recognizing that Americans have different views on this issue, but one thing that overwhelmingly Americans have agreed on is that we shouldn’t use federal tax dollars to support or to fund abortions,” Hawley said of the policy.

Source: CNA, 2/9/2021

That testimony was before the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.

There was another confirmation hearing today at which Tanden testified before the Budget Committee.