Congresswoman: Taxpayers Have an 'Obligation' to Fund Abortions

Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., not only believes that women should be able to choose whether or not to terminate a pregnancy, but also favors a full repeal of  existing federal policy which limits taxpayer funding for abortions.  According to the Illinois Democrat, “there’s no evidence” that  increasing access to abortion services encourages people to get abortions.

CNSNews.com's Nichola Ballasy caught up with the congresswoman today during an event on Capitol Hill sponsored by the Center for Reproductive Freedom to ask her about call for the repeal of the Hyde Amendment.  When asked about whether access to abortion may encourage more women to take the drastic step, Rep. Schakowsky replied, “No, there’s no evidence of that around the world, where access to abortion is more available but somehow women are more inclined to get one.”

“What happens is that women who don’t have access resort, as we heard today, to very dangerous, self-inflicted kinds of things in order to end, terminate the pregnancy,” she said. “And so, you know, we go back to back alley abortions. We go back to coat hangers. And, I mean, is that what we want?”

“Women who are desperate enough to do that to themselves are going to somehow – going to try to abort that pregnancy. We don’t want to do that. We don’t want to put women at greater risk.”