If enacted, SB929 would remove existing restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance funding that limit its use for providing safe abortion services. It highlights the disparities faced by individuals in low- and middle-income countries, where unsafe abortions result in significant maternal mortality and morbidity. By providing funding for safe abortion access and related healthcare services, the bill is projected to avert millions of unsafe abortions and maternal deaths each year, ultimately leading to healthier populations and reduced healthcare costs associated with abortion complications.
Summary
SB929, also known as the ‘Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act of 2023’, seeks to amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 by authorizing the use of federal foreign assistance funds for comprehensive reproductive health care services, including safe abortion services. The bill identifies abortion as a critical component of sexual and reproductive health care that must be accessible and affordable for all individuals, aligning with global initiatives aimed at promoting reproductive rights as essential to gender equality. The intent is to expand access to safe abortion care that is culturally and socially sensitive while integrating it alongside other health services.
Contention
Notable points of contention surrounding SB929 primarily revolve around ideological divides regarding abortion. Proponents argue that the bill aligns with public health initiatives, emphasizing that when individuals can manage their reproductive health freely, it leads to broader socio-economic benefits. Opponents, particularly from anti-abortion factions, might argue that expanding access to abortion services does not align with their beliefs about the sanctity of life. The bill thus faces significant political challenges, reflecting larger cultural and moral debates that exist within the U.S. and globally regarding reproductive rights and healthcare.
Abortion Is Not Health Care Act of 2025This bill excludes amounts paid for an abortion from the itemized tax deduction for qualified medical and dental expenses, subject to exceptions. Under current law, individuals who itemize their tax deductions may deduct qualified medical and dental expenses to the extent that such expenses exceed 7.5% of the individual’s adjusted gross income for the tax year. Further, under current law, the calculation of the itemized tax deduction for medical and dental expenses may include amounts paid for a legal abortion.Under the bill, amounts paid for an abortion may not be claimed as part of the itemized deduction for medical and dental expenses. However, under the bill, amounts paid for an abortion may be included in the itemized deduction for medical and dental expenses if (1) the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest; or (2) a woman is suffering from a physical disorder, injury, or illness (including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself) that would, as certified by a physician, place the woman in danger of death if an abortion were not performed.