Wondering why we want to get rid of the Hyde Amendment? Because it’s inherently racist and classist. Not only did the authors of this policy know that their law was discriminatory, they championed it *because* it was discriminatory. Here’s how they did it.

Henry Hyde himself put it in pretty plain, and alarming, terms: “I certainly would like to prevent, if I could legally, anybody having an abortion—a rich woman, a middle-class woman, or a poor woman. Unfortunately, the only vehicle available is the…Medicaid bill.”

Since Medicaid is primarily a program used by low-income Americans, Hyde disproportionately affects low-income folks. People of color are also disproportionately likely to rely on Medicaid, and therefore more likely to be subject to Hyde and unable to afford abortion care.

Essentially, Henry Hyde wanted to ban abortion for everyone. But since he couldn’t do that, he settled for further marginalizing those already struggling to make ends meet. This effectively created two groups: the group of people who could access abortion, and those who couldn’t.

But it doesn’t stop there. Not only does the Hyde Amendment exploit income inequality—it perpetuates it. One pivotal study found that people who sought an abortion but couldn’t get one were more likely to be living in poverty a year later than those who did get an abortion.

Access to reproductive healthcare should never depend on where you live, how much money you make, or how you get your health insurance. We need to #BeBoldEndHyde so that no one is ever denied the care they need because of discriminatory, racist policies.