House Republicans eye adding anti-abortion provisions in D.C. budget fix: report

Top House Republicans are considering editing the Senate bill that steps in after the Washington, D.C., budget shortfall.

Earlier this month, the House passed a government funding bill that dramatically cut the city's budget, which Congress must approve. The bill cut approximately $1.1 billion from the district halfway through the financial year, the Associated Press reported.

So, the Senate passed a second bill that would specifically handle the shortfall. The House must approve it, but first, GOP leaders want to put that on pause to add in their own provision.

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Punchbowl News reported Monday that the House wants to include a provision that none of the money being sent to D.C. can be used to conduct abortions.

There's already a long-standing rule in Medicaid funding that prevents federal dollars from being used for abortions, except in instances of rape, incest, or danger to the life of the mother. Since the 1977 appropriations bills have included the Hyde Amendment, which does what the House wants to write into the D.C. funding, the Kaiser Family Foundation said.

The District of Columbia's version of Hyde is called the Dornan Amendment, explained the organization Reproductive Freedom for All. Since D.C. isn't a state, Congress approves the city's budget and includes the Dornan Amendment.

Read the report here.