House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner (OH-8) and Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) held a press conference Thursday to discuss the introduction of the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” legislation that would codify the Hyde Amendment by permanently prohibiting taxpayer funding of abortion across all federal programs.

    Speaker Boehner announced that he has directed that the legislation be designed as H.R. 3 and “one of our highest legislative priorities.”

       “Our new majority has pledged to listen and focus on the will of the people,” Boehner said. “We’ve begun to carry out this commitment by cutting our own budget and repealing the job-destroying health care law. Today we’re here to talk about keeping another commitment to the people – and that is ensuring their tax dollars are never used to fund abortions. A ban on taxpayer funding of abortion is the will of the people and ought to be the law of the land. But current law – particularly as enforced by this Administration – does not reflect the will of the people.”

    Smith introduced bipartisan legislation that codifies the Hyde Amendment and other similar policies by permanently applying a ban on taxpayer funding of abortion across all federal programs.

    “This common-sense legislation reflects the will of the people and deserves the support of the House,” Boehner said. “It is one of our highest legislative priorities.  As such, I have directed that it receive the designation of H.R. 3.  I appreciate Congressman Smith’s steadfast leadership on this critical issue.”

    Smith gratefully welcomed the strong support of the Speaker.

    “President Obama has said he wants abortion to be rare,” Smith said. “Well, Mr. Obama, here is a bill for you. Even the Guttmacher Institute, the former research arm of Planned Parenthood, says that taxpayer funding bans are a proven abortion reduction method. According to Guttmacher, studies show that when abortion is not publically funded, abortions in the covered population are reduced by roughly 25 percent.

    “Abortion is not health care. And polls show that taxpayers strongly oppose publically funded abortion—67 percent according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll,” Smith said. “Our new bill is designed to permanently end any US government financial support for abortion whether it be direct funding or by tax credits or any other subsidy.”