Sen. Lee Introduces Abortion is Not Healthcare Act

For UtahStandardNews.com / January 10, 2020

WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) today introduced the Abortion is Not Healthcare Act, a bill that would prevent the tax deductibility of abortions.

The IRS currently categorizes abortion as “medical care” and allows taxpayers to include abortions as qualifying out-of-pocket medical expenses on their tax returns.

“The government should not offer tax benefits for a procedure that kills hundreds of thousands of unborn children each year, nor should taxpayers subsidize such a practice. This undermines the truth that all human beings have dignity and worth, and that the purpose of healthcare is to heal and care for them – not kill them,” said Sen. Lee. “Our bill would end the preferential tax treatment of abortion and clarify that this gruesome practice is not healthcare.”

Specifically, the bill would amend Section 213 of the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit abortion expenses from being considered as eligible for a medical expense deduction.

Joining Sen. Lee in support of the bill are sixteen original co-sponsors: Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Rick Scott (R-FL), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Steve Daines (R-MO), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Pat Roberts (R-KS), and Jerry Moran (R-KS).

The full bill text can be found here.