Anti-abortion rider attached to DHS spending bill

CBS/iStockphoto

(CBS/AP) WASHINGTON - A Homeland Security spending bill approved by the GOP-led House on Thursday includes a provision to bar Immigration and Customs Enforcement from providing abortions for illegal immigrant detainees.

The measure, proposed by Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., would block ICE from using agency funding to provide abortion services for detainees except in the case of rape, incest or if there life of the mother would be endangered.

The provision was attached to a $46 billion Homeland Security spending bill approved on a party-line 234-182 vote. It has little chance of surviving in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Barbara Gonzalez, an ICE spokeswoman, said the agency has not paid for abortion services since its 2003 creation.

House passes homeland security spending bill

The agency's policy on abortion services is the same as the Justice Department's rule for the Bureau of Prisons, which restricts access to those services except in cases of rape, incest or if the life or the mother is in danger.

Though the provision isn't likely to become law, its approval in the Republican-controlled House does send a political message in an election year when abortion, health care and reproductive rights have become issues.

Last month a proposed ban on gender-based abortion failed by 20 votes in the House. That bill also had little chance of survival in the Senate. The vote was seen as an effort by both sides made an appeal for women's votes.

The House on Thursday night also approved a provision to the Homeland Security bill that would block spending for ICE's newly created public advocate, whose office fields complaints and questions about immigration policy. Republicans have criticized the appointment, saying that the Obama administration was putting illegal immigrants head of the interests of Americans.

The agreement also includes more than $5 billion in disaster relief spending that complies with a budget agreement last summer opposed by tea party conservatives.

The measure is the fourth of the 12 annual agency spending bills to pass the House this year. The Senate has yet to begin debate on the measures but may turn to the homeland security bill later this summer.

Republicans engineered increases in border and immigration enforcement efforts but hit the often-unpopular Transportation Security Administration with a slight decrease. Overall, though, the bill generally tracks President Barack Obama's request.

The measure also increases spending for grants popular with state and local governments for first responders like fire and police departments.

The bill also denies Obama's request to increase TSA security fees added to the cost of airline tickets. Last month, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved increasing the fee on a nonstop round-trip flight from $5 to $10. Fees on a one-way, nonstop ticket would increase from $2.50 to $5. Passengers who change planes to reach their destinations would continue to pay $5 each way.

[Zann-Zel]

"drivel" - The only slight benefit to society is that most of the abortions are fetuses of defective females, entitlement recipients, drug addicts and such.
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And where's the comment about the father's? Are they defective too? Or are they perfect? And if they're perfect what are they doing mating with defective females?? THIS attitude is one reason why it is 100% the females choice! Because according to people like you its obviously 100% her responsibility!

[Drivelphobe001]

Zann-Zell...The fathers are just as defective as the mothers, but the mothers are the ones who think they can murder the fetuses. Ever hear of birth control like condoms, etc? What are these females doing in this day and age of lethal sexually-transmitted diseases? NO one should have a choice to kill a fetus because they wouldn't close their legs. But as I said, maybe it's a blessing and only helps control the population of scumbags.

[Zann-Zel]

NO one should have a choice to kill a fetus because they wouldn't close their legs.
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And once again, you place all blame on the female.
How do you know SHE had a choice?

[Zeitgeist3]

This is another attempt at GOP stonewalling so they can say "nothing gets done under Obama." Pure and simple. They're the ones who padded the health care bill with so much crap and then cried foul when it passed.

[occupy_cbs]

"Anti-abortion rider attached to DHS spending bill"



What piece of legislation out of the right-wing extremist House has passed without riders or poison pills?

So nice to see the hypocritical republicans wanting more "anchor babies" despite their political rhetoric against the 14th amendment!

[superdem1]

The so called "pro-life" movement would have you believe that blood-drenched liberals are abducting pregnant women off the street and dragging them screaming into abortion clinics, then laughing in glee as babies are ripped from their mothers' womb. HELLO - you people are insane ! Women in trouble walk into their doctors' offices all day, every day in America ! They do it legally, under their own free will ! They are making the decisions that are right for them ! It's none of your business ! If you don't believe in abortion, don't have one ! This is called CHOICE - it's a freedom we have in America, so long as we keep people like YOU out of office and away from the levers of government. For this reason ALONE we must all vote against MITT ROMNEY, and every other Republican. While America's economy continues to languish, Republicans scream about dead babies - they are psychotic !

[Zann-Zel]

Applause!!!

[hegivesmepeace]

What about the rights of the baby, they are choosing to protect this child, who has no defense other than what they are trying to stop, which is murder in the eyes of God. soften your hard heart and see the whole picture, that is a life which you so casually want to choice away.

[sjc_1]

The Republicans put an anti abortion rider on a Pentagon spending bill in committee the other day. Those guys are ridiculous.

[jeannettelj]

There is already a law that states no federal money can be used for abortions. Most of the illegal immigrants in this country are latino and are Catholic and I seriously doubt if many would be availing themselves of that service. This is a moot point and the repubs just want to grandstand as usual.

[KPeters_from_UK]

Once again this is a pathetic GOP waste of money ploy. I thought that the GOP, during this election season were going to stay away from social issues and concentrate on JOBS. I guess they just can't help themselves.

[pbaird2]

The abortion issue should be determined by the women of America. Their bodies and psychological conditions are at risk. Until women stand firm together on their personal issues nothing will ever be fair for them. Women's Suffarage is their precedent.

[AOCGUY]

Well first this rider had nothing to do with American women unless you are including women who are citizens of other American countries (i.e. Canada, and Central South America). Second as Former_Marine_Sgt has already stated, it is already illegal to use federal tax dollars for abortion, and Third, ICE doesn't provide abortions, it is not part of their mission. This is just stupid grandstanding which we as American taxpayers get to pay for.

[Drivelphobe001]

Nothing is fair for them? Are you nuts? Are you best friends with Sandra Fluke? Even women can't agree on the abortion issue, but the good news is that the smart ones are against abortion, while the entitlement class, the welfare and freebie class, are all for it. What does suffrage have to do with murder of fetuses?

[imavoter2]

Where's the JOBS BILL RIDER?

[imavoter2]

Where's the JOBS BILL RIDER?