Pro-life leaders from states across the country held a webcast on Monday calling on the U.S. Senate to protect the Hyde Amendment during ongoing healthcare negotiations.
"The most persuasive thing you can do is to make sure that your elected officials know is that there is no flexibility from the Hyde Amendment, there is no flexibility on forcing us and everyone we know to support abortion through our tax dollars, to pay for something we truly don't want," Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said Monday.
Last week, during remarks to House Republicans at the Kennedy Center, President Donald Trump told lawmakers, "Now, you have to be a little flexible on Hyde."
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Trump added, "You know that you got to be a little flexible. You got to work something. You got to use ingenuity. You got to work."
Republicans want to keep the Hyde Amendment protections part of healthcare negotiations, while Democrats are opposed to including the amendment.
The Hyde Amendment, named for Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., was first passed in 1976. It prohibits the use of federal funds for most elective abortions.
Pro-life leader David Bereit, executive director of the Life Leadership Conference, introduced guests who represented states, including Ohio, Iowa, South Carolina and Missouri, who echoed similar sentiments.
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Aaron Baer, president of the Center for Christian Virtue in Columbus, Ohio, urged Ohioans to make their voices heard to support Ohio Republican Sens. Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted, who Baer said have been strong advocates for life.
"There are hospitals and insurance companies and all these folks that are really agnostic on Hyde," Baer said. "They just want their money. And no matter what, they're going to be pushing a lot of pressure to say, ‘Hey, just pass this whatever it takes. And if the Democrats don't want Hyde, just take Hyde out so we can get this done.’"
"And that's the type of pressure that's happening in Washington right now," Baer added. "That's just all of this is like coming on top of Bernie and Jon. And so this is where pro-lifers need to make their voices heard and say, ‘Hey, Ohio wants the Hyde Amendment, we need to be sure there's strong protections in there.' And that's a message both Bernie and Jon have ran on, and they care about deeply."
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Craig DeRoche, president and CEO of the Family Policy Alliance, said that the integrity of the pro-life movement is at stake.
"Millions of Americans are watching pro-life, pro-family voters, are not going to forget what happens in this moment. That's what I'd like to say. It's not just about policy, it's about our values… the credibility of this entire movement that's up for stake in one vote," DeRoche said.
Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of The Family Leader in Iowa, said politicians who abandon Hyde will struggle politically, and Steve Pettit, president of the Palmetto Family Council in South Carolina, warned that wavering on Hyde would quickly erode voter trust.
"Candidates who waver on Hyde risk losing trust very early in South Carolina, almost immediately," Pettit said. "South Carolina is where voters test character early. And this is where we learn who will stand when it costs them something."
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
