Since our last update, the House passed H.R. 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.

The bill would make permanent a prohibition on using federal dollars to pay for abortions. Since 1976, the federal government has been guided by the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of federal funds for abortions except in cases of rape, incest or when the mother's life is in danger. The amendment means abortion services are not provided by Medicaid or in health care plans offered to federal employees and for active and retired military.

The Hyde amendment must be renewed every year, so H.R. 3 would put it permanently on the books. The House passed it 251-175 on May 4, 2011

However, the Senate has been a roadblock for this bill and several other promises the Republican leadership made on health care. The Senate version of H.R. 3 hasn't seen any action since May of 2011 and is highly unlikely to pass this year because of opposition from Democratic leaders.

In the unlikely event something changes, we'll revisit this promise. But for now we rate it a Promise Broken.