Republican Sen. John Cornyn may have found a way to compromise to Senate Democrats in the human trafficking bill fight.
Rather than stripping the abortion language of the Hyde Amendment out altogether, Sen. John Cornyn, author of the bill, offered to have the funds subject to annual appropriations voting, no different than taxpayer dollars, although the funds would still be gathered from new, additional fines on human traffickers and sex offenders.
That could satisfy Democrats, who are blocking the bill Cornyn sponsored over abortion language they apparently failed to notice until after they passed it unanimously through committee. (RELATED: Senate Dem Concedes Her Staff To Blame For Trafficking Bill Implosion)
The language bans federal funding of abortion, except in cases or rape, incest or life of the mother, and has been a standard addition to spending bills for decades. But Democrats argue it’s an expansion of abortion restrictions in this case, because the money would come from fines paid by trafficking perpetrators, and not taxpayer dollars. (RELATED: Democrats Pick Abortion Fight Over Trafficking Victims)
Cornyn’s new plan would still contain the language restricting abortions, but since the funds would be subjected to yearly appropriations votes, Democrats could presumably get on board.
An aide to Cornyn asserted that taxpayer dollars would not be involved, saying the proposal would simply redirect the same funds (collected from the perpetrators) through the appropriations process yearly, rather than every five years.
“Democrats have repeatedly requested that these dollars go through the appropriations process, so that is what we will do,” the aide told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “The money for the victim’s fund will now flow through the relevant appropriations bills, with all spending limitations contained in those bills applying.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he will not move forward with the confirmation of Loretta Lynch as the next attorney general until Democrats allow the human trafficking bill to the floor. But Democrats remain adamant in their demand the abortion language be taken out of the bill, and have already played the racism and sexism cards. (RELATED: Dem Senator Accuses GOP Of Forcing Loretta Lynch To Sit In The Back Of The Bus)
Editor’s Note: This article was updated at 7:04:04 p.m. to add comments from Cornyn’s aide, and clarify the process for disbursement of funds to the victims.
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