Life Advocacy Briefing

Confirmed

THE SENATE HAS ACTED on two nominations of consequence to the cause of Life. Nancy Abudu was confirmed May 17 as US appellate court judge in the 11^th Circuit, based in Atlanta. We urged our readers, earlier this year, to contact Senators about this nomination. Her confirmation margin was razor-thin, and we publish the voting record at the close of this Life Advocacy Briefing.

Geeta Rao Gupta was confirmed May 11 as Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues. We did not see this one coming. We expect to publish the voting record on Ms. Gupta in our next edition. This is a strategic post from which the Biden Regime will continue to press abortion on other nations. She was confirmed with the vocal backing of Planned Parenthood, so we know what to expect.

The Tuberville Stand

THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION HAS LAUNCHED A PETITION DRIVE to back Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) in his battle, reports Dan Hart for The Washington Stand (TWS), “to reverse a Dept. of Defense policy that unilaterally expanded abortion in the military.”

As the Senator’s block on promotions for “nearly 200 military generals and flag officers” begins its fourth month, Heritage has added its own petition drive to one inaugurated by Family Research Council, which has already, reports Mr. Hart, “garnered over 25,000 signatures in support of the senator’s pro-life stand. In addition,” he notes, “23 pro-life leaders signed a letter in March indicating they are standing behind Tuberville.” And several of Sen. Tuberville’s colleagues – from both houses of Congress – have expressed their own solidarity with his determination to overturn the Biden Regime policy.

“‘It’s beyond me why the White House wants to pick this fight,’ Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) remarked last week,” reports Mr. Hart.

Normally, the Senate’s confirmation of promotions for top military officers is a matter of routine. But Sen. Tuberville has seized on Senatorial power to thwart the expected in order to call attention to the military’s reversal of long-standing policy on using taxpayer funds and military prestige and resources to promote abortion among servicemembers and their families.

Said Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), founding chairman of the Senate pro-life caucus, speaking with Family Research Council president Tony Perkins in an episode of Washington Watch, “‘[Sen. Tuberville’s] not wavering on it, nor should he with what this Administration has done really through fiat, through making rules and regulations versus passing something through Congress.’”

Sen. Tuberville himself said on Washington Watch on May 18, quoted by Mr. Hart: “‘We’ve got to make a stand somewhere. [Progressives] have corrupted the entire country. Our military is next. And if they can get our military, then the Supreme Court will be next. And what we know as the United States of America will not be in existence anymore.’

“[Sen.] Tuberville went on to contend that the priorities of the military under the Biden Administration have been misplaced,” writes Mr. Hart. He quotes the senator, “‘I had a general come to me a year or so ago and said, “Coach, we’re spending more money on transgender restrooms in the military than we are making coverings for our $100 million jets.” … We have kids that are having to buy their own uniforms now in the military because we cannot afford to buy them a second or third set of uniforms.’” Yet the military is paying for transportation of pregnant female soldiers to have their unborn children killed in states that have legalized abortion, and Veterans Administration medical facilities are being used for abortion.

Welcoming the Little Ones

WE OFFER OUR CONGRATULATIONS to US Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), on her joy-filled announcement that she is bearing her first child. And we thank her for her outspoken advocacy for life in her work and in the announcement of her own good news.

“‘The population group most at risk of being attacked or abused in our nation is our children,’” she said in an e-mail, quoted by Jean Mondoro for LifeSiteNews, “‘whether they are threatened inside the womb by abortion or subjected to destructive ideologies outside the womb that seek to harm their minds and bodies. … I have been pro-life for years,’” she said, “‘but this furthers my stance. …

“‘If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my personal life,’” said Rep. Luna, quoted by Ms. Mondoro, “‘God uses each and every life to bring good to the world, even if you can’t see it yet. Children are beacons of hope in our dark world, and that far outweighs any momentary suffering.’”

Now We Know

FOR THOSE INTRIGUED BY PRESIDENTIAL CHALLENGERS, be advised: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may have received interest by those who appreciate his informed, researched warnings about vaccine hazards, but critical to his concern in this regard is a broader philosophical commitment which should be of concern to pro-life voters.

“The Kennedy campaign did not respond to an inquiry from LifeSiteNews,” reports Calvin Freiburger for the pro-life news source, “requesting elaboration on his abortion position but did give a statement to Newsweek published May 15. Kennedy Jr.,” the campaign announced, “‘believes strongly in the principle of bodily autonomy, whether the issue is abortion or medical mandates,’ a spokesperson said,” reports Mr. Freiburger. “‘He will keep government away from women’s childbearing choices. The moral issues are best left to the woman, her family and her religious community.’” Oh.

Nebraska Lawmakers Persist

WHEN THE NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE PASSED on May 19 a 12-week abortion ban, it did so in an uproar, particularly because the bill included provisions protecting minors from gender-corrupting medical interventions.

“The measure provoked several extremely ‘pro-trans’ Democratic senators to engage in an unprecedented filibuster of the entire legislative session and barrage the bill with unserious procedural motions designed to bog the process down,” reports Joshua Arnold for The Washington Stand (TWS).

Still, GOP Gov. Jim Pillen signed the combination bill into law May 22. To get it to the governor’s desk, the unicameral legislature had to pass the measure through four separate votes; each time, the proposal garnered exactly the number of votes needed – all through a maelstrom of unruly protest from the balconies and the rotunda, resulting in at least six arrests. When lawmakers were finished with their proceedings, those who had voted for the measure had to be escorted out of the chamber by law enforcement officers, leading them through a construction zone.

When protesters threatened lawsuits and told the media the suits were already prepared for filing, Gov. Pillon, reports Mr. Arnold, “responded to the prospects of lawsuits against the bill, ‘Of course we’re prepared, and of course we’re going to win if that takes place.’”

The legislature’s entire session was slowed by a filibuster mounted by a radical senator in an effort to block the bill. But the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Kathleen Kauth (R) “said the unprecedented filibuster actually helped LB-574 finally succeed. ‘Had they not filibustered,’” she said in the TWS report, “‘this bill would have been dead in February. Because the filibuster gave us more time to talk to each other, … the filibuster is actually what made this happen. And so, I doubt it was their intention, but that gave us the time to make this work, and now we will be able to let children grow.’”

[Life Advocacy Briefing editor’s note: As a former state legislator during earlier tumultuous times, I can scarcely imagine and most certainly admire the courage with which the Nebraska majority faced down such heated, actual insurrection even from the ranks of the Legislature itself. Looking forward to the electoral survival of those who stood tall, I cannot help recalling the words of scripture, quoting Joseph to his brothers in Genesis 50:20: “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”]

Protections Enacted Even in North Carolina

May 18, 2023, The Washington Stand commentary by Joshua Arnold, excerpted

             The North Carolina legislature voted Tuesday to prohibit elective abortions after 12 weeks, up from the previous limit of 20 weeks, overriding a veto from Gov. Roy Cooper (D) by the slimmest possible margin. Republicans described the measure as a “compromise” bill designed to retain the support of their entire coalition, which had recently expanded to give their party a super-majority, while a Democratic Senator called the bill “unthinkable and cruel.” But State Sen. Joyce Kraweic, who sponsored the bill, said on Washington Watch, “It’s a great day in North Carolina, for sure.”

             North Carolina Republicans’ chance to improve legislative protections for the unborn suddenly improved in April, after Charlotte-area Rep. Tricia Cotham declared she would switch from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. Her move gave Republicans a supermajority in the House – 72 out of 120 seats, or 60%. Republicans already held a supermajority in the Senate (30 out of 50 seats). As recently as 2022, Cotham had written on a Planned Parenthood questionnaire that she was “an unwavering advocate for abortion rights” and would “oppose any legislation that restrict[s] abortion access.”

             On May 2, the House and Senate formed a conference on SB-20, resulting in a bill that tightened restrictions on elective abortion from 20 weeks to 12 weeks (with exceptions for “a medical emergency,” rape and incest exceptions through 20 weeks and a “life-limiting anomaly” through 24 weeks.) The bill also stipulates reporting requirements for abortion, establishes conscience protections, articulates informed consent requirements, imposes a 72-hour waiting period, and grants a pregnant woman the right to view the ultrasound. It included a ban on partial-birth abortion, the Born-Alive Survivors Act, funding to support mothers and adoption incentives. …

             Cooper vetoed the bill on May 14 after canvassing Republican legislators in hopes of persuading one to flip. In his veto message, Cooper recycled the standard pro-abortion talking points: “This bill will create dangerous interference with the doctor-patient relationship, leading to harm for pregnant women and their families. With its medically unnecessary obstacles and restrictions, it will make abortion unavailable to many women.” By “medically unnecessary obstacles and restrictions,” Cooper likely meant the ultrasound requirement, which is medically necessary, and waiting period provision, which gives women time to reflect so they don’t make a choice they later regret, causing later health issues. Cooper had previously argued that even the state’s 20-week restriction on abortion was “fundamentally wrong.”

             Yet all four of the moderate Republicans Cooper targeted voted to override his veto. This includes Cotham, whose position on abortion had sufficiently changed from 2022 that she could say, “After extensive review, I believe this bill strikes a reasonable balance on the abortion issue and represents a middle ground that anyone not holding one of the two extremist positions can support.” …

             When Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, North Carolina had a pro-abortion governor not up for election until 2024, a legislative majority that fell short of the veto override threshold, and a state supreme court hostile to the Republican legislature and the districts maps they drew. In the 2022 elections, Republicans gained a net two seats in the House, two seats in the Senate and two seats in the Supreme Court. The gains were significant but not decisive; Republicans … were still one vote short of a supermajority in the House. Rep. Cotham’s party switch in April gave the Republicans the final vote they needed to override the governor’s veto. …

[Life Advocacy Briefing editor’s note: The win in North Carolina is particularly significant, as the Tar Heel State has been the toughest southern state in which to enact restrictions on abortion, largely because of the domination of the medical research industry in the state. The test now will be the voters’ response in the 2024 election, where pro-life candidates and other spokesmen would do well to emphasize: Abortion is not health care; it is the intentional killing of an innocent human baby. Let voters chew on that – and not merely respond to bumper-sticker labels and slogans – in choosing among their candidates.]

Heating Up

May 17, 2023, LifeSiteNews report by Calvin Freiburger

             Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis responded to former Pres. Donald Trump’s suggestion that banning abortion at six weeks may be “too harsh,” reaffirming his support for the law he signed in April and noting that his presumptive rival for the Republican Presidential nomination neglected to answer whether he would have signed the same law.

             On Monday, Trump said in an interview that “if you look at what DeSantis did, a lot of people don’t even know if he knew what he was doing. But he signed six weeks, and many people within the pro-life movement feel that that was too harsh.” Asked if he would sign a similar law, Trump said simply that he was “looking at many alternatives.”

             The comments came amid several weeks of consternation between pro-lifers and Trump, who has raised doubts as to whether he would support a federal abortion ban now that the overturn of Roe v. Wade has enabled states to legislate on the issue, and repeatedly stressed that any law he might sign must include exceptions for rape, incest and to save a mother’s life.

             Asked about the exchange at an event the next day, DeSantis responded, “Protecting an unborn child when there’s a detectable heartbeat is something that almost, probably 99% of pro-lifers support. It’s something that other states like Iowa under Gov. Kim Reynolds have enacted, and I think that as a Florida resident, he didn’t give an answer about ‘would you have signed the heartbeat bill that Florida did.’ It had all the exceptions that people talked about; the legislature put it in. I signed the bill. I was happy to do it. He won’t answer whether he would sign it or not.”

             The answer is the closest DeSantis … has come to explicitly criticizing Trump, who since last November has been attacking the governor on an almost daily basis. It may suggest that DeSantis will soon begin campaigning, complete with a new approach to the former President.

             On Wednesday morning, Trump posted to his Truth Social platform a declaration that he feels the pro-life movement owes him for its current prospects, once more without clarifying his position on federal abortion legislation.

             “After 50 years of failure, with nobody coming even close, I was able to kill Roe v. Wade, much to the ‘shock’ of everyone, and for the first time put the pro-life movement in a strong negotiating position over the radicals that are willing to kill babies even into their 9^th month and beyond,” he wrote. “Without me there would be no 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 15 weeks or whatever is finally agreed to. Without me the pro-life movement would have just kept losing. Thank you, President Trump!” [Pres. Trump wrote]

Senate Voting Records

Cloture motion to end debate on nomination of Nancy Abudu as Appellate Judge of the 11^th Circuit – May 17, 2023 – Adopted 50 to 48 (Democrats in italics; “Independents” marked “I”)

Voting “no”/pro-Life: Britt & Tuberville/AL, Murkowski & Sullivan/AK, Boozman & Cotton/AR, Scott/FL, Crapo & Risch/ID, Braun & Young/IN, Ernst & Grassley/IA, Marshall & Moran/KS, McConnell & Paul/KY, Cassidy & Kennedy/LA, Collins/ME, Hyde-Smith & Wicker/MS, Hawley & Schmitt/MO, Daines/MT, Fischer & Ricketts/NE, Budd & Tillis/NC, Cramer & Hoeven/ND, Vance/OH, Lankford/OK, Graham & Scott/SC, Rounds & Thune/SD, Blackburn & Hagerty/TN, Cornyn & Cruz/TX, Lee & Romney/UT, Capito & Manchin/WV, Johnson/WI, Barrasso & Lummis/WY.

Voting “yes”/anti-Life: Kelly & Sinema(I)/AZ, Padilla & Feinstein/CA, Bennet & Hickenlooper/CO, Blumenthal & Murphy/CT, Carper & Coons/DE, Ossoff & Warnock/GA, Hirono & Schatz/HI, Duckworth & Durbin/IL, King(I)/ME, Cardin & VanHollen/MD, Markey & Warren/MA, Peters & Stabenow/MI, Klobuchar & Smith/MN, Tester/MT, Cortez-Masto & Rosen/NV, Hassan & Shaheen/NH, Booker & Menendez/NJ, Heinrich & Lujan/NM, Gillibrand & Schumer/NY, Brown/OH, Merkley & Wyden/OR, Casey & Fetterman/PA, Reed & Whitehouse/RI, Sanders(I) & Welch/VT, Kaine & Warner/VA, Cantwell & Murray/WA, Baldwin/WI.

Not voting: Rubio/FL, Mullin/OK.

Confirmation of Nancy Abudu as Appellate Judge of the 11^th Circuit – May 18, 2023 – Confirmed 49 to 47 (needing a majority) (Democrats in italics; “Independents” marked “I”)

Voting “no”/pro-Life: Britt & Tuberville/AL, Murkowski & Sullivan/AK, Boozman & Cotton/AR, Scott/FL, Crapo & Risch/ID, Braun & Young/IN, Grassley/IA, Marshall/KS, McConnell & Paul/KY, Cassidy & Kennedy/LA, Collins/ME, Hyde-Smith & Wicker/MS, Hawley & Schmitt/MO, Daines/MT, Fischer & Ricketts/NE, Budd & Tillis/NC, Cramer & Hoeven/ND, Vance/OH, Lankford & Mullin/OK, Graham & Scott/SC, Rounds & Thune/SD, Blackburn & Hagerty/TN, Cornyn & Cruz/TX, Lee & Romney/UT, Capito & Manchin/WV, Johnson/WI, Barrasso & Lummis/WY.

Voting “yes”/anti-Life: Kelly & Sinema(I)/AZ, Padilla & Feinstein/CA, Bennet & Hickenlooper/CO, Blumenthal & Murphy/CT, Carper & Coons/DE, Ossoff & Warnock/GA, Hirono & Schatz/HI, Duckworth & Durbin/IL, King(I)/ME, Cardin & VanHollen/MD, Markey & Warren/MA, Peters & Stabenow/MI, Klobuchar & Smith/MN, Tester/MT, Cortez-Masto & Rosen/NV, Hassan & Shaheen/NH, Booker & Menendez/NJ, Heinrich & Lujan/NM, Gillibrand & Schumer/NY, Brown/OH, Merkley & Wyden/OR, Casey & Fetterman/PA, Reed & Whitehouse/RI, Welch/VT, Kaine & Warner/VA, Cantwell & Murray/WA, Baldwin/WI.

Not voting: Rubio/FL, Ernst/IA, Moran/KS, Sanders(I)/VT.