Washington Digest: Senate remains in partisan gridlock
March 22, 2015
WASHINGTON — For a second week, the Senate remained locked in a partisan dispute over abortion policy that has kept the chamber from advancing legislation to combat human trafficking.
At issue is a provision that would prohibit funds raised through fees and fines from being used for abortion services. Known as the Hyde amendment, it has been used since 1976 on spending bills to keep federal tax dollars from being used for abortion.
Senate Democrats initially overlooked the Hyde language but objected to it when the bill arrived on the Senate floor and have blocked the bill from moving forward.