Mitch McConnell accuses Democrats of going soft on ‘modern-day slavery’

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell attempted to deflect criticism of anti-abortion language appended to an anti-human-trafficking bill by claiming Democrats were trying to revisit the culture wars, The Hill‘s Jordain Carney reports.

Republican Senator John Cornyn’s The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act was not expected to meet with any opposition, and as recently as Monday of this week, it enjoyed bipartisan support. “I doubt if there will be problems on my side,” Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid told The Hill. “If there is, I will work to clear them.”

On Tuesday, however, Democratic staffers noticed that a rider had been appended to the bill containing language that would apply the anti-abortion Hyde Amendment to the trafficking victims’ fund — which would restrict federal funding if the money was used to pay for abortions in cases that didn’t involve rape or incest.

“This bill will not be used as an opportunity for Republicans to double down on their efforts to restrict a woman’s health-care choices,” Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) told The Washington Post. “It is absolutely wrong and, honestly, it is shameful. I know there are a whole lot of us who are going to fight hard against any attempt to expand the Hyde Amendment and permanently impact women’s health.”

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http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/03/mitch-mcconnell-accuses-democrats-of-going-soft-on-modern-day-slavery/