Knights of Columbus Statement on Hyde Amendment

Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly’s statement on removal of the Hyde Amendment from funding legislation

The Knights of Columbus is extremely disappointed in this week’s actions by the House of Representatives to remove longstanding, bipartisan taxpayer and conscience protections including the Hyde Amendment. The House vote to make taxpayers pay for abortions is both an assault on the dignity of life and contrary to the wishes of most Americans. This year’s Knights of Columbus/Marist polling, affirming over a decade of previous polling data, shows that 58% of Americans oppose the use of taxpayer-funding for abortions. We urge the Senate to include the Hyde Amendment and other similar provisions as they undertake the appropriations process and for the full Congress to ultimately pass spending bills that affirm this bipartisan desire of the American public. We call on all legislators, especially our fellow Catholics, to have the courage to make a stand for conscience and to not force every tax-paying American to pay for the destruction of innocent life in the womb.

The Knights remain totally committed to supporting the cause of life. In the past decade, we have donated more than 1,400 ultrasound machines to pregnancy resource centers in all 50 states, and we will continue this and other efforts to build a Culture of Life.