A House Democratic memo co-led by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lays out a plan to pass a federal abortion right and taxpayer-paid abortion coverage within 100 hours if Democrats win the House.
Story Highlights
- The memo comes from the House Democrats’ Cost-of-Living Healthcare Working Group, co-led by Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Terri Sewell of Alabama.
- It is addressed to House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who picked the group’s leaders in June 2026.
- Among its goals for the first 100 hours of a new Democratic majority: “Reestablish a federal right to abortion care.”
- It also calls for ending the Hyde Amendment, the decades-old rule that keeps most federal tax dollars from paying for abortions.
- It is a plan, not law. It would still face the Senate filibuster and President Trump’s veto.
What The Memo Asks For First
The memo is dated Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, and pro-life groups, led by the National Right to Life Committee, brought it to public attention. It was written to set House Democrats’ health care agenda for the first 100 hours, first 100 days and first year of the next Congress if the party wins the House majority in the Nov. 3 election. Abortion is on the list for the first 100 hours.
Under the heading “Restore reproductive freedom nationwide,” the memo lists two goals: “Reestablish a federal right to abortion care” and “end restrictions that prevent people covered through federal health programs from receiving abortion coverage.” It names two bills to do the job. One is H.R. 12, the Women’s Health Protection Act, sponsored by Rep. Judy Chu of California. The other is H.R. 4611, the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) Act, sponsored by Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts.
AOC memo plots extreme pro-#abortion agenda if Democrats win #midterms.
The House Democrats’ Cost-of-Living Healthcare Working Group outlined a plan that includes a federal 'right' to abortion and taxpayer funding after the election if they gain power.
https://t.co/q0SOOSEoZk— Kattoliko Pensiero (@kattolikamente) October 10, 2026
Overriding State Pro-Life Laws
In 2022, the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade and sent abortion law back to the states. Many states have since passed laws that protect unborn children. The memo’s own addendum says H.R. 12 “would create a nationwide statutory right for patients to receive abortion care” and would override state restrictions. A statutory right is one that Congress writes into federal law.
According to pro-life groups, the bill would allow abortion after viability, the point when a baby can survive outside the womb. They say it would also wipe out state rules such as ultrasound requirements, waiting periods and informed-consent laws, and would protect abortions done by video call. The bill has failed in Congress several times before. If it passed, local voters would have far less say over the abortion laws in their own states.
Ending The Hyde Amendment
The Hyde Amendment is a rule Congress has attached to federal spending bills since 1976. It bars most federal tax dollars from paying for abortions through programs like Medicaid, with narrow exceptions. The memo’s addendum says the EACH Act “ends the Hyde Amendment, which has blocked abortion coverage for people insured through the federal government.”
The memo says the bill would let every person who gets care or insurance through the federal government receive abortion at no cost to the patient. That would include people covered by Medicaid, by veterans’ health plans and by federal jobs. Earlier versions of the bill also said governments “shall not prohibit, restrict, or otherwise inhibit insurance coverage of abortion care by private health plans.” Removing Hyde would put taxpayers across the country, including millions who object on moral and religious grounds, on the hook for abortion costs.
A Plan That Still Faces Big Hurdles
Jeffries named Ocasio-Cortez and Sewell to co-lead the group on June 22, 2026, as one of five cost-of-living working groups. The memo also calls for a Right to Contraception Act that “would create a federal right to obtain and provide contraceptives.” Republicans hope proposals like these will push moderate voters away from Democrats in November.
Even if Democrats win the House on Nov. 3, the memo’s bills would need 60 votes in the Senate to get past a filibuster, the rule that lets a minority of senators block most bills. They would also face a veto from President Trump, which takes a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate to override. For families, churches and pro-life voters, the memo shows plainly what House Democrats were asked to put first if they win the gavel.
Sources:
lifesitenews.com, liveaction.org, congress.gov, govinfo.gov
