SLC Times

Senator Mike Lee of Utah has put forward three legislative proposals aimed at preventing the use of federal tax dollars to fund abortions both domestically and internationally. These bills were introduced in conjunction with the 2025 March for Life events taking place in Washington, DC, and other state capitals.

The first proposal, titled the Abortion is not Health Care Act, seeks to eliminate the tax deductibility of abortion expenses. According to Senator Lee, "In our quest to build a society where every precious human life is protected, we cannot allow the tax dollars of American families to be used against the most vulnerable people in our country and across the world: the unborn." This bill would modify Section 213 of the Internal Revenue Code so that elective abortion expenses are no longer eligible for medical expense deductions. Senators Hagerty (R-TN), Daines (R-MT), Cramer (R-ND), Blackburn (R-TN), Hawley (R-MO), and Hyde-Smith (R-MS) are cosponsors. Supporting groups include Students for Life Action and Concerned Women for America.

The second proposal is called Protecting Life in Health Savings Accounts Act. It aims to end preferential tax treatment for abortion within health savings accounts. The current law allows individuals to use funds from health savings accounts, flexible savings accounts, health reimbursement arrangements, Archer medical savings accounts, and retiree health accounts for abortion expenses. The proposed legislation would change this by explicitly prohibiting such expenses from receiving special tax advantages. Cosponsors of this bill are similar to those of the first bill.

The third piece of legislation is named Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance Act. It intends to ensure that U.S. foreign aid does not support or promote abortions abroad. This act would codify an expanded version of what was known during President Trump's administration as the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance policy into law permanently. "Congress must ensure this cannot be the case now or ever again," stated Senator Lee regarding American citizens' potential complicity in overseas abortions under foreign assistance policies rescinded by President Biden in 2021.

Finally, Senator Lee also introduced a repeal of the FACE Act—a federal law designed to protect access to abortion facilities but criticized by Lee as being used by President Biden's administration against pro-life activists who have since been pardoned by former President Trump.

These legislative efforts reflect ongoing debates over abortion funding and legal protections within various segments of U.S. policy and governance.