mr. richard doerflinger. we now recognize mrs. ruse for five minutes. >> thank you for inviting me to provide testimony this morning, this afternoon on the funding for abortion act. it is nice to be back. a little less work on this side of the days, but not much. thirty-five years ago something of a consensus was reached between those who support legal abortion and those who oppose it. whatever our differences on the underlying question of legality, a majority of americans can together in support of the proposition that the federal government should not subsidize abortions. that consensus took the form of the hyde amendment of 1976 which limited abortion funding appropriated under labor hhs to cases where eight abortion was necessary to save a mother's life and later involving rape and incest. the supreme court upheld the constitutionality of the amendment in harris the gray and in so doing made a sharp distinction between abortions and other medical distinctive up procedures. in the words of the courts no other procedure involves

mr. richard doerflinger. we now recognize mrs. ruse for five minutes. >> thank you for inviting me to provide testimony this morning, this afternoon on the funding for abortion act. it is nice to be back. a little less work on this side of the days, but not much. thirty-five years ago something of a consensus was reached between those who support legal abortion and those who oppose it. whatever our differences on the underlying question of legality, a majority of americans can together in support of the proposition that the federal government should not subsidize abortions. that consensus took the form of the hyde amendment of 1976 which limited abortion funding appropriated under labor hhs to cases where eight abortion was necessary to save a mother's life and later involving rape and incest. the supreme court upheld the constitutionality of the amendment in harris the gray and in so doing made a sharp distinction between abortions and other medical distinctive up procedures. in the words of the courts no other procedure involves

mr. richard doerflinger. we now recognize mrs. ruse for five minutes. >> thank you for inviting me to provide testimony this morning, this afternoon on the funding for abortion act. it is nice to be back. a little less work on this side of the days, but not much. thirty-five years ago something of a consensus was reached between those who support legal abortion and those who oppose it. whatever our differences on the underlying question of legality, a majority of americans can together in support of the proposition that the federal government should not subsidize abortions. that consensus took the form of the hyde amendment of 1976 which limited abortion funding appropriated under labor hhs to cases where eight abortion was necessary to save a mother's life and later involving rape and incest. the supreme court upheld the constitutionality of the amendment in harris the gray and in so doing made a sharp distinction between abortions and other medical distinctive up procedures. in the words of the courts no other procedure involves

mr. doerflinger. let me ask you, as a general proposition government tax exemptions, tax subsidies are attacks -- what he called government spending? you said it was -- what did you say as a general proposition it is a form of government subsidy. if tax exemptions are a form of government subsidy how do we justify tax exemptions for the catholic church, the jewish synagogue, the protestant church, or any other -- >> the first reason why churches are not taxable is simply that they don't make a profit. nonprofit organizations. >> wait a minute. they are exempt. what about the individual who gives money to the church? that is not taxable. isn't that under your definition a government subsidy for the church? >> if the federal government has made a policy decision a very long time ago that charities and churches -- >> it's not a question of policy decision. if it is a public to the church is unconstitutional because of the establishment clause. so it's a tax credit to the individual to reading to the chur