Both Democrats and Republicans are eagerly wanting to make healthcare the key issue for the coming elections, with President Trump calling for House Republicans to “own” the current congressional debate following the lapse of the Obamacare subsidies.
However, neither party is reading from the winning playbook, centered on independent Americans. Disenchanted with both parties, Americans are disassociating with two-party extremes at the highest rates the country has seen.
According to a Gallup poll released earlier this week, 45% of Americans now identify as political independents—the remainder split evenly between those holding onto their Republican and Democrat labels.
This shift is even more pronounced among the younger—and most populous—generations, with 58% of Gen Z and 56% of Millennial Americans identifying as independent.
The implication stands that whichever party can hold the vote of the moderate and provide a winning healthcare solution will come out on top.
For independents, at least, the winning healthcare proposal must include extending Hyde provisions to prevent tax dollars from funding elective abortion.
While congressional Democrats refuse to put forward a proposal including Hyde, and President Trump having called for Republicans to be “flexible” on funding abortion, the growing bloc of independents disagrees.
Since the first Hyde Amendment was passed in 1976, Americans have been able to find common ground, the majority agreeing no one should be taxed to fund abortion. For many years, Hyde even passed with substantial Democratic support.
Now, Democrats are attempting to argue that current Hyde laws are sufficient.
But the Obamacare rules that require separate accounting mechanisms for elective abortion do not prevent federal subsidies from enabling Marketplace plans in many states—some states even mandating coverage for elective abortions.
Not including explicit Hyde protections in the Obamacare subsidies has also allowed the Obama and Biden administrations to issue guidance to consolidate accounting, making it unclear if federal dollars are reimbursing elective abortion alongside other covered services.
The most recent data from a January 2025 Knights of Columbus/Marist Poll confirms this longstanding trend, showing 58% of independents support Hyde protections for their tax dollars. More broadly, 57% of all Americans oppose tax dollars funding abortions domestically.
If either party were to look at the data, both Democrat and Republican leaders would have been quick to suggest Hyde as a bipartisan foundation for the greater healthcare debates.
Instead, President Trump’s urging to be “flexible” on Hyde has risked fracturing the Republican base, and both parties risk an apathetic resolution of the healthcare debate.
Electoral history following the passage of Obamacare echoes the trouble of Trump’s request for Republicans to compromise on Hyde.
A wave of pro-life Congressmen filled the House and Senate, elected by hard-working Americans who recognized the usurpation of their popular moral convictions, beginning to pave the way for the greater pro-life victory in Dobbs.
While the loudest protest is from pro-lifers, the greater disloyalty is to the American taxpayer.
Given the dire state of the economy, where affordability is the most “critical issue” for voters across the political spectrum, continuing to tax Americans only to spend it on abortion is only going to get increasingly unpopular.
Thankfully, Speaker Mike Johnson has already declined President Trump’s misguided advice to be “flexible” on Hyde.
If either political establishment wants to meet Americans where they are and have a chance at championing the healthcare issue, they should continue to follow the Speaker’s lead.
Instead of rolling back Hyde, President Trump should rollback his remarks and double down on his history of opposing the forced taxpayer funding of abortion.
American independents are closely watching how leadership on Capitol Hill is spending their tax dollars. The party not willing to stand for the conscience of the nation will face a decisive loss during the coming midterms.
Gavin Oxley is the Media Relations Manager for Americans United for Life.
