2017: DeSantis Voted To Permanently Ban Federal Funding For Abortion Services. In January 2017, DeSantis voted for codifying the Hyde Amendment. According to Congressional Quarterly, “Passage of the bill that would permanently prohibit federal funds from being used to pay for abortion services or health insurance plans that include abortion coverage. It also would prohibit the District of Columbia from using its own local funds to provide or pay for abortions. Individuals and small businesses also could not receive tax credits under the 2010 health care law related to purchases of health insurance plans that include abortion coverage. The bill would require the Office of Personnel Management to ensure that, starting in 2018, no multistate qualified health plan offered in a state insurance exchange provides coverage that includes abortion. The provisions would not apply to pregnancies resulting from rape or incest, or to situations where the woman would die unless an abortion is performed.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 238 to 183. The Senate has not yet acted on the legislation. [House Vote 65, 1/24/17; Congressional Quarterly, 1/24/17; Congressional Actions, H.R. 7]
2016: DeSantis Effectively Voted Against Allowing Federal Employees’ Health Plans To Cover Any Aspect Of Abortion. In July 2016, DeSantis voted against an amendment that would, according to Congressional Quarterly, “strike[n] a section of the bill that would [have] prohibit[ed] funds from being used to pay for an abortion or administrative expenses in connection with any health plan under the federal employees health benefits program which provides benefits or coverage for abortions.” The underlying legislation was an FY 2017 financial services appropriations bill. The vote was on the amendment. The House rejected the amendment by a vote of 177 to 245. The House later passed the underlying bill, but the Senate took no substantive action on the legislation. [House Vote 364, 7/6/16; Congressional Quarterly, 7/6/16; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 1233; Congressional Actions, H.R. 5485]
2015: DeSantis Voted For Permanently Banning Federal Funds To Pay For Abortion Or Abortion Coverage, Forcing Insurance Companies To Display Prominently When They Cover Abortion And Provides Exception For Rape, Incest, Or to Save Mother’s Life. In January 2015, DeSantis voted for permanently banning federal funds for abortion, abortion coverage and provides exceptions for rape, incest and the mother’s health in life threatening situations. According to Congressional Quarterly, “This bill permanently prohibits the use of federal funds to pay for abortion or abortion coverage, prohibits federal medical facilities and health professionals from providing abortion services, and prohibits individuals and small businesses from receiving federal subsidies and tax credits under the 2010 health care overhaul to purchase health care plans that cover abortions. The measure provides an exception for abortions in cases of rape or incest and for saving the life of the mother. It also requires all qualified health plans that provide abortion coverage to prominently disclose that fact to enrollees at the time of enrollment, as well as to prominently display such information in any marketing or advertising materials, plan comparison tools or summaries of benefits and coverage.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill 242 to 179. The Senate has yet to take action on the measure. [House Vote 45, 1/22/15; Congressional Quarterly, 1/24/15; Congressional Quarterly, Accessed 10/1/15]
2014: DeSantis Voted To Prohibit Any Use Of Federal Funds To Pay For Abortion Except In Cases Of Rape, Incest Or To Save The Mother’s Life; Ban Would Forbid Using Affordable Care Act Subsidies To Pay For Health Insurance That Covered Abortion. In January 2014, DeSantis voted for a bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, would have “permanently prohibit[ed] the use of federal funds, facilities or staff to provide abortion coverage and services, except in cases of rape or incest and for saving the life of the mother.” The House passed by a vote of 227 to 188; as of the end of February, 2014, the Senate had taken no substantive action on the measure. [House Vote 30, 1/28/14; Congressional Quarterly, 1/28/14; Congressional Actions, H.R. 7]
2015: DeSantis Voted To Allow States To Exclude Abortion Providers, Including Planned Parenthood, From Medicaid Reimbursements. In September 2015, DeSantis voted for a bill that would allow states to exclude Planned Parenthood from Medicaid reimbursements. According to Congressional Quarterly, the legislation would have “amend[ed] title XIX of the Social Security act to allow states to exclude medical providers who perform abortions from the state's Medicaid contracts. The bill would [have] expand[ed] the exceptions for which a state is not required to provide Medicaid reimbursements, allowing states to deny non-abortion health care reimbursements to medical providers such as Planned Parenthood.” The vote was on the bill. The House passed the bill by a vote of 236 to 193. The Senate took no substantive action on the legislation. [House Vote 524, 9/29/15; Congressional Quarterly, 9/29/15; Congressional Actions, H.R. 3495]
2014: DeSantis Voted To Bar Someone From Using Their Health Savings Account Funds To Pay For An Abortion, Except In The Case Of Rape, Incest Or A Threat To The Mother’s Life. In April 2014, DeSantis voted for the Republican Study Committee’s proposed budget resolution for fiscal years 2015 to 2024. According to the Republican Study Committee, their budget would “[i]mplement real patient-centered health care reform that would lower costs and improve access with the RSC's American Health Care Reform Act.” According to the RSC’s section-by-section description of the AHCRA, section 251 of the bill “[p]rohibits HSA funds from being used to pay for abortions, except in the case of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is threatened.” The House considered the RSC budget as a substitute amendment to House Republicans’ FY 2015 budget resolution; the amendment was rejected by a vote of 133 to 291. [House Vote 175, 4/10/14; Republican Study Committee, 4/7/14; Republican Study Committee, 9/17/13]