Life Advocacy Briefing

Question of the Week

IF IT IS UP TO EACH STATE TO DECIDE whether an unborn human being is a person, how does that “principle” square with the 14^th Amendment?

[Section 2 of the 14^th Amendment to the US Constitution reads, in part: “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”]

Free at Last!

ON HIS FOURTH DAY IN OFFICE, President Donald Trump issued pardons for the 23 pro-life citizens imprisoned by the Biden Regime for taking their message of hope and truth to the doorstep of abortuaries.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) had taken to the Senate floor on Thursday morning, publicly condemning the authoritarian actions of the now-gone Biden Justice Dept. and urging clemency for those imprisoned for pro-life advocacy, an appeal before the Senate and the viewing public but directed to the President of the United States, who has the power to grant pardons.

And granting pardons he quickly did, commenting, reports LifeSiteNews, “that none of the 23 pro-lifers should have been ‘prosecuted,’ adding that signing the pardons [was] a ‘great honor.’

“The now-pardoned pro-lifers,” notes LSN, “are: Joan Bell, Coleman Boyd, Joel Curry, Jonathan Darnel, Eva Edl, Chester Gallagher, Rosemary Geraghty, William Goodman, Dennis Green, Lauren Handy, Paulette Harlow, John Hinshaw, Heather Idoni, Jean Marshall, Fr. Fidelis Moscinski, Justin Phillips, Paul Place, Beverly Beatty Williams and Calvin, Eva & James Zastrow.”

LSN further reports that Sen. Hawley personally spoke with the President Thursday morning about the plight of the prisoners of conscience, later writing on X that he had had “‘a great conversation this morning with [Donald Trump] about the pro-life prisoners unjustly persecuted and imprisoned by the corrupt Biden Administration.’”

In his Senate speech, Sen. Hawley described challenges several of the pro-life prisoners of conscience have overcome in their heroic lives and denounced their imprisonment in the United States of America.

“Words cannot capture the injustice of what this [Biden] Administration has done,” declared Sen. Hawley. “This is a grotesque abuse of the conscience of this country. This is a grotesque assault on the principles of this country.”

And now, as of Jan. 23, 2025, they are free. Praise the Lord!

Nasty Roadblock

CONTROL OF THE U.S. SENATE MAY HAVE TRANSFERRED to the predominantly pro-life Republican Party by will of voters in the 2024 elections, but that does not guarantee a new day for pro-life legislation, a fact which Senate Democrats hastened to underscore in the first week of the Trump Administration.

A vote last Wednesday to close debate on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act – S-6, sponsored by Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) – failed by a vote of 52 to 47, needing 60. The House passed its version, HR-21, filed by Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO), by a vote of 217 to 204, with one voting “present.” We publish at the close of this Life Advocacy Briefing the names of the respective bills’ co-sponsors and the Senate voting record on the cloture motion. We expect to publish the House voting record next week. Readers wishing to offer thanks or reproofs may contact their lawmakers via the Capitol switchboard at 202/224-3121 (House) or 202/225-3121 (Senate).

Readers will find many “freshman” lawmakers among the co-sponsors. We thank Sen. Lankford and Rep. Wagner for their persistent leadership in this reform and pray for its ultimate passage.

The bills update a provision already in law, the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which was signed by Pres. George W. Bush to establish the principle of medical care for abortion survivors but which had no enforceable penalty provisions.

Representatives and Senators who vote against this legislation – and those Senators engaged in blocking it from coming to a vote – are giving their own consent to the intentional withdrawal of medical care and nutrition for living, breathing, born human babies. An attempt to block the bill’s passage was made in the House as well, as a motion to recommit the measure to committee; we will publish that procedural roll call as well, in a later edition.

As President Trump raised the issue in his campaign and expressed dismay and disgust over those radicals who approve of this perpetration of infanticide, we expect he will approve the bill if ever it reaches his desk, and we look forward to his raising to public attention the resistance of Congressional Democrats to this reasonable, compassionate change in an already established law.

Pres. Trump Defines ‘Female’ Starting at Conception

PRO-LIFE CITIZENS HAVE BEEN QUIETLY DISAPPOINTED by the watering down of the Republican Party’s platform plank on abortion last summer and by President Trump’s declaration during his recent campaign that abortion law is a matter reserved to the states. But it is worth noting that many of his major appointees share with us a principled commitment to Life as a fundamental American principle, and a few of the first-week actions of the Trump Administration offer hope.

Example: The Dept. of Health & Human Services has removed its pro-abortion page from the agency’s website during the first week of Trump 2.0.

One of the newly reinstated President’s day-one actions was to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization. Though the WHO’s advocacy of abortion is not the only reason Americans should rejoice in this move, our departure from it does offer pro-life citizens a specific reason for joy. 

And pro-life citizens may have noticed that Pres. Trump last week signed an executive order “affirming the immutable biological reality of sex,” as reported by Emily Mangiaracina. The LifeSiteNews writer found a particularly auspicious section in that executive order (EO). It “includes language,” she writes, “recognizing personhood from ‘conception.’ 

“‘Female’ means person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the large reproductive cell,’ the EO ‘Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism & Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government’ states.” [emphasis added, via italics, by Life Advocacy Briefing]

“Ethics & Public Theology professor Andrew T. Walker, on X, called the language a ‘brilliantly stealth’ move,” notes Ms. Mangiaracina.

“The US remains without a federal law, amendment or policy” she writes, “with the express purpose of recognizing personhood explicitly from the moment of conception, and many states continue to permit the killing of human life after conception and before birth through abortion, even though the Constitution recognizes the inherent right of every person to life.” [5^th & 14^th Amendments]

“The lack of specific recognition of the personhood of human beings from conception also allows the legalization of the practice of in vitro fertilization,” notes Ms. Mangiaracina, “which kills about 93% of children the process creates, since many more eggs are fertilized than necessary as an insurance policy in case first attempts at successful pregnancies fail.”

Marching for Life

THE ANNUAL MARCH FOR LIFE TOOK TO THE STREETS of the nation’s capital last Friday, just past our production deadline. Vice President J.D. Vance was expected to address the marchers at the pre-march rally on the National Mall. A video message from Pres. Trump was expected.

As is our custom, we expect to publish transcribed speeches from the March rally for the next several weeks.

Meaningful Gesture

ARKANSAS GOV. SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS (R) ANNOUNCED on Jan. 13 she was designating Jan. 22, the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 edict legalizing abortion, as “the ‘Day of Tears,’” reports Clare Marie Merkowsky for LifeSiteNews, “to remember the thousands of babies killed in Arkansas under Roe v. Wade.” The “day of tears” designation was originally adopted by the Arkansas legislature in 2021.

Gov. Sanders also ordered flags on state buildings to be lowered to half-staff for the day “to mourn the 65 million babies killed in abortion before the overturning of Roe v. Wade” in the 2022 Dobbs decision, writes Ms. Merkowsky, who adds, “An estimated 236,243 babies were killed by abortion in Arkansas” during the Roe regime.

Since the Dobbs decision freed the states to act on abortion in 2022, notes Ms. Merkowsky, “Arkansas has become one of the most pro-life states, banning all abortions unless a pregnant woman’s life is allegedly in danger due to a physical condition.”

In Trouble with the IRS?

A COMPLAINT HAS BEEN FILED AGAINST PLANNED PARENTHOOD claiming that the abortion outfit engaged in coordination with the Harris-Walz presidential campaign despite the outfit’s non-profit status.

The complaint to the IRS, which could result in loss of tax exemption for Planned Parenthood of Sarasota, Florida, was filed by 40 Days for Life, whose CEO Shawn Carney “told Fox News recently,” reports Matt Lamb for LifeSiteNews, “‘They were giving out flyers that said Tim Walz Tuesdays, … hosting Harris campaign events and providing their space to do that, which, of course, they did not do for the Republicans. … And you just can’t do that as a 501/c/3 [tax-exempt non-profit]. This is very, very basic,’ Carney said. ‘They were stupid to do it.’”

Shuttering Shops

PLANNED PARENTHOOD’s EMPIRE IS BEGINNING TO SHOW CRACKS, in Illinois, of all places.  

Rich Miller, publisher of a daily news service posted at CapitolFax.com reported on Jan. 22 that “Planned Parenthood of Illinois is facing a financial shortfall brought on by rising healthcare costs for in-person care, increase in patient volume needing financial assistance, uncertain patient care landscape under a new national political administration, and the need to create a sustainable future after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.”

As a result, reports Mr. Miller, “PPIL has made the difficult decision to close four health centers: Ottawa, Decatur and Bloomington in central Illinois and Englewood in Chicago.” Englewood is a neighborhood within Chicago which has long been considered among the city’s most financially depressed areas, normally a prime target for the abortion behemoth.

“‘We made plans for the patient surge,’” said PPIL Interim CEO Tonya Tucker, quoted by Capitol Fax, “‘however, rising care costs and lower reimbursement rates from insurers is jeopardizing PPIL’s sustainability. Unfortunately,’” she said, “‘this is the reality many other Planned Parenthood affiliates are facing in the rapidly evolving healthcare environment. We are making the difficult decisions today so we can continue providing care tomorrow and well into the future.’” Right. By closing your shops.

Co-Sponsors of Born-Alive Protection, Senate

WITH SEN. JAMES LANKFORD (R-OK), S-6, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, is co-sponsored by GOP Senators Katie Britt & Tommy Tuberville (AL), Dan Sullivan (AK), John Boozman & Tom Cotton (AR), Rick Scott (FL), Mike Crapo & James Risch (ID), Jim Banks & Todd Young (IN), Joni Ernst & Chuck Grassley (IA), Roger Marshall & Jerry Moran (KS), Mitch McConnell (KY), Bill Cassidy & John Kennedy (LA), Cindy Hyde-Smith & Roger Wicker (MS), Josh Hawley & Eric Schmitt (MO), Steve Daines & Tim Sheehy (MT), Deb Fischer & Pete Ricketts (NE), Ted Budd & Thom Tillis (NC), Kevin Cramer & John Hoeven (ND), Bernie Moreno (OH); Markwayne Mullin (OK), David McCormick (PA), Lindsey Graham & Tim Scott (SC), Mike Rounds (SD), Marsha Blackburn & Bill Hagerty (TN), John Cornyn & Ted Cruz (TX), John Curtis & Mike Lee (UT), Shelley Moore Capito (WV), Ron Johnson (WI), John Barrasso & Cynthia Lummis (WY), and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD).

Co-Sponsors of Born-Alive Protection, House

WITH REP. ANN WAGNER (R-MO), HR-21, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, is co-sponsored by GOP Representatives Robert Aderholt, Barry Moore, Gary Palmer, Mike Rogers & Dale Strong (AL); Nicholas Begich (AK); Andy Biggs & Juan Ciscomani (AZ); Rick Crawford, French Hill & Steve Womack (AR); Ken Calvert, Vince Fong, Darrell Issa, Doug LaMalfa & Tom McClintock (CA); Jeff Crank (CO); Aaron Bean, Gus Bilirakis, Kat Cammack, Mario Diaz-Balart, Neal Dunn, Scott Franklin, Mike Haridopolos, Laurel Lee, Anna Paulina Luna, Cory Mills, John Rutherford, Maria Salazar, Greg Steube & Daniel Webster (FL); Rick Allen, Earl Carter, Mike Collins, Andrew Clyde, Marjorie Taylor Green, Barry Loudermilk, Richard McCormick & Austin Scott (GA); Ross Fulcher & Michael Simpson (ID); Mike Bost, Darin LaHood & Mary Miller (IL); Erin Houchin, Mark Messmer & Rudy Yakym (IN); Randy Feenstra, Ashley Hinson & Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA); Ron Estes & Tracey Mann (KS); Andy Barr, James Comer & Brett Guthrie (KY); Clay Higgins, Julia Letlow & Steve Scalise (LA); Andy Harris (MD); Jack Bergman, Bill Huizenga, Lisa McClain, John Moolenaar & Tim Walberg (MI); Tom Emmer, Brad Finstad, Michelle Fischbach & Pete Stauber (MN);

Also, GOP Representatives Mike Ezell, Michael Guest & Trent Kelly (MS); Eric Burlison, Sam Graves, Robert Onder & Jason Smith (MO); Troy Downing (MT); Don Bacon, Mike Flood & Adrian Smith (NE); Mark Amodei (NV); Chris Smith & Jeff VanDrew (NJ); Andrew Garbarino, Nicholas Langworthy, Nicole Malliotakis & Claudia Tenney (NY); Virginia Foxx, Richard Hudson, Brad Knott, Addison McDowell, Tim Moore, Gregory Murphy & David Rouzer (NC); Julie Fedorchak (ND); Troy Balderson, Mike Carey, Warren Davidson, David Joyce, Robert Latta, David Taylor & Michael Turner (OH);  Stephanie Bice, Josh Brecheen, Tom Cole, Kevin Hern & Frank Lucas (OK); John Joyce, Mike Kelly, Daniel Meuser, Guy Reschenthaler, Lloyd Smucker & Glenn Thompson (PA); Sheri Biggs, Russell Fry, Nancy Mace, William Timmons & Joe Wilson (SC); Dusty Johnson (SD); Tim Burchett, Chuck Fleischmann, Mark Green, Diana Harshbarger, David Kustoff, Andrew Ogles & John Rose (TN); Jodey Arrington, Brian Babin, John Carter, Dan Crenshaw, Jake Ellzey, Pat Fallon, Brandon Gill, Craig Goldman, Lance Gooden, Tony Gonzales, Ronny Jackson, Morgan Luttrell, Nathaniel Moran, Troy Nehls, August Pfluger, Keith Self, Pete Sessions, Beth VanDuyne, Randy Weber & Roger Williams (TX); Celeste Maloy, Blake Moore & Burgess Owens (UT); Ben Cline, John McGuire & Robert Wittman (VA); Dan Newhouse (WA); Carol Miller & Riley Moore (WV); Scott Fitzgerald, Glenn Grothman, Thomas Tiffany & Tony Wied (WI); and Harriet Hageman (WY).

Senate Voting Record

Cloture motion to end debate on S-6 – Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act – Failed 52-47, needing 60 – Jan. 22, 2025 (Democrats in italics; new Senators in ALL CAPS)

Voting “yes” / pro-Life: Britt & Tuberville/AL; Murkowski & Sullivan/AK; Boozman & Cotton/AR; MOODY & Scott/FL; Crapo & Risch/ID; BANKS & Young/IN; Ernst & Grassley/IA; Marshall & Moran/KS; McConnell & Paul/KY; Cassidy & Kennedy/LA; Collins/ME; Hyde-Smith & Wicker/MS; Hawley & Schmitt/MO; Daines & SHEEHY/MT; Fischer & Ricketts/NE; Budd & Tillis/NC; Cramer & Hoeven/ND; HUSTED & MORENO/OH; Lankford & Mullin/OK; McCORMICK/PA; Graham & Scott/SC; Rounds & Thune/SD; Blackburn/TN; Cornyn & Cruz/TX; CURTIS & Lee/UT; Capito & JUSTICE/WV; Johnson/WI; Barrasso & Lummis/WY.

Voting “no” / anti-Life: GALLEGO & Kelly/AZ; Padilla & SCHIFF/CA; Bennet & Hickenlooper/CO; Blumenthal & Murphy/CT; Blunt-Rochester & Coons/DE; Ossoff & Warner/GA; Hirono & Schatz/HI; Duckworth & Durbin/IL; King(“I”)/ME; ALSOBROOKS & VanHollen/MD; Markey & Warren/MA; Peters & SLOTKIN/MI; Klobuchar & Smith/MN; Cortez-Masto & Rosen/NV; Hassan & Shaheen/NH; Booker & KIM/NJ; Heinrich & Lujan/NM; Gillibrand & Schumer/NY; Merkley & Wyden/OR; Fetterman/PA; Reed & Whitehouse/RI; Sanders(“I”) & Welch/VT; Kaine & Warner/VA; Cantwell & Murray/WA; Baldwin/WI

Not voting: Hagerty/TN.