Maryland will subsidize abortions using a surcharge on its Affordable Care Act insurance funds. Democratic Governor Wes Moore signed legislation directing $25 million “to fund a program to pay for abortions,” according to the Associated Press.

The money for the Public Health Abortion Grant Program comes from a $1 surcharge on Obamacare health insurance plans that has been accumulating for 10 years, according to the AP. The grants will go to nonprofit organizations that facilitate the killing of preborn babies in the womb.

The money will be spread out over the coming years at a pace of about $3 million per year, according to the AP. The plan is part of the state’s desire to make itself a “safe haven for abortion access,” according to Moore.

Others want to see the program “duplicated.”

“If programs like ours are duplicated across the country, we could help millions of Americans access essential abortion care — without relying on taxpayer dollars,” Democratic Delegate Lesley Lopez stated.

In fact, pro-abortion states including New York and Illinois are reportedly reaching out about how to redirect their health insurance funds to abortion as well.

The program has faced criticism from pro-life leaders who say the money would better be spent on actual healthcare that supports families.

“Instead of allocating public funds to expand abortion access, our state should prioritize policies that support mothers in need, provide real health care solutions, and affirm the dignity of both mother and child,” the Maryland Catholic Conference told Catholic News Agency in March. “We also hope that the federal government will act to ensure that taxpayer dollars cannot be used in this manner to fund or subsidize abortion at the state level.”

This call to action by the Catholic Conference may become a reality.

While the funds are generated through health plans sold by the state exchanges, the process is still made legal by federal law.

Currently, pro-life lawmakers are pushing for a defunding of Planned Parenthood and other abortion vendors via the budget reconciliation bill. The House version contains language that will defund Planned Parenthood, but now the Senate must pass a similar version. Legislation could include language prohibiting Obamacare plans from using surcharge dollars to pay for abortions as one way to prevent similar programs from being set up in other states.

Taxpayers should not be supporting the killing of our own citizens at any level of government. Congress and the president can, and should, step up to ensure human life is protected in law and no one is forced to subsidize abortions.