GOP Lawmakers Continue to Fight For the Unborn

Republican lawmakers at the national and state levels are working hard to protect the unborn.

In Congress, 200 hundred members of the U.S. House of Representatives and 48 senators have pledged to vote against any legislation that attempts to weaken or reverse the Hyde Amendment.

Since 1976, the Hyde Amendment has protected American taxpayers from funding most abortions, and has saved some 2.4 million lives.

The Democratic majorities are razor-thin in both houses, so these vows are not empty promises.

In the House, Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., has re-introduced legislation called the No Taxpayer Funding of Abortion Act.

If passed, this bill would replace repeated funding fights with an across-the-board protection of tax dollars from going to the abortion industry.

Republicans are also poised to re-introduce the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.

That potential bill in the House comes alongside the already re-introduced Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.

Likewise, state legislatures all over the country have abeen busy this calendar year crafting laws that protect the unborn and their mothers.

We can expect that if these laws are passed, the usual suspects–Planned Parenthood, the Center for Reproductive Rights, the ACLU, and NARAL — will file federal lawsuits against the legislation.

Yet, the nearly three hundred federal judges who recognize the right to life appointed by President Donald Trump bring us hope in this area. 

The chances for many of these bills being upheld in Court have increased, and that in turn increases confidence among likeminded legislators and governors.  

Of the 13 federal appeals courts, judges appointed by Republican presidents hold majorities on seven of them.

A pro-abortion verdict is no longer a certainty even on the once-reliably liberal Ninth Circuit, especially when you consider the mechanism of three-judge panels.

Keep in mind, the U.S. Supreme Court has a conservative majority so some of the state laws that have been designed to be challenged all the way to the high court could lead to significant changes in our abortion landscape.

Similarly, extreme pro-abortion laws that are challenged in federal courts could find themselves struck from the books.

President Trump's influence on America's justice system lasts far beyond his term in office, as should our gratitude to him.

And thanks, also, to the state legislators who have their priorities straight and know that all rights are meaningless without the right to life.

Here’s a look at some of the bills under consideration in the states:

Ala. – "Gianna’s Law," HB 237, would mandate life-saving care for newborns who survive abortion. It is named for abortion survivor Gianna Jessen.

Ariz. – SB 1457 would protect babies with genetic disorders like Down syndrome from abortion.

Ark. – HB 1195, a bill approved by the House and Senate and heading for Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s signature, would require women seeking abortion to first call a hotline that would give her information on abortion alternatives.

Fla. – A bill still in committee would protect babies from abortion after 20 weeks.

Kan. – A proposed amendment saying that the Kansas constitution does not guarantee the right to abortion will be on the ballot in 2022.

Ky. – Legislators overrode the veto of Gov. Andy Beshear to give the attorney general new power to regulate abortion businesses.

Mont. – Four abortion bills are making their way through the legislature. HB 171 would protect women by regulating access to abortion pills and forbid their use on school property. HB 136 would protect a babies from abortion after 20-weeks. HB 167 would mandate life-saving care for babies who survive abortion, and HB 140 would require that women seeking abortion be given information about the risks of the procedure 24 hours in advance.

Okla. – Among the bills under consideration is one that would outlaw abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Others would make it a felony to perform abortion and restrict the use of chemical abortion.

S.C. – The Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act would protect a baby once a heartbeat has been detected.

Texas – Bills would protect babies from abortion once a heartbeat is detected, and outlaw abortion if Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973) is overturned.

We in the movement to protect life from conception until natural death look at these laws as "protective" rather than "restrictive."

We are not against women, and we certainly don’t want to punish them.

Rather, we want to protect them from an inherently destructive procedure and an unscrupulous and an abortion industry with little regulation.

We want to protect their right to know the truth adn to have access to every life-affirming option. In short, we want these women to brotected in mind, body and soul.

At Priests for Life, through our work with Rachel’s Vineyard and Silent No More, which are the world’s largest healing ministries after abortion, we see every day the devastation abortion brings to moms, dads and entire families.

The bills arising in Congress and among the states help these families, including their youngest members, and make a measurable difference in saving lives.

Let’s support the courageous lawmakers both on the state and federal level, who remain undeterred in advancing this fundamental purpose of government and law — the protection of life.

Fr. Frank Pavone is one of the most prominent anti-abortion leaders in the world. He became a Catholic priest in 1988 under Cardinal John O’Connor in New York. In 1993 he became the fulltime National Director of Priests for Life. He is also the President of the National Pro-life Religious Council, and the National Pastoral Director of the Silent No More Campaign and of Rachel’s Vineyard, the world’s largest ministry of healing after abortion. He travels the nation assisting pro-life advocates to end abortion, and broadcasts regularly on television, radio, and internet. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, St. John Paul II, and the Trump Campaign are among those who have sought his input on pro-life matters. He has helped foster the anti-abortion activities of the Catholic Church worldwide by having served at the Vatican as an official of the Pontifical Council for the Family and a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life. Read Fr. Frank Pavone Reports — More Here.