Life Advocacy Briefing

Question of the Week

WHY SHOULD A PRO-LIFE PREGNANCY CENTER HAVE TO FIGHT IN COURT to secure its First Amendment right not to promote abortion?

Swarming the Capitol

STUDENTS FOR LIFE OF AMERICA (S.F.L.A.) COORDINATED a pro-life lobby day in the nation’s capital on March 27, and several pro-life Members of Congress met with crowds of pro-life citizens to underscore their united commitment to protecting expectant mothers and their children.

In The Washington Stand (TWS), published by Family Research Council, reporter Sarah Holliday quoted several of those public officials as well as some of the citizen “lobbyists.”

“As Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) emphasized,” Ms. Holliday writes, “Planned Parenthood pushes a ‘dreadful and deadly’ agenda. More than that, she insisted, they put on a mask of being ‘pro-woman’ while simultaneously lying to them and purposefully withholding the truth about the risks involved with abortion.”

And Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) declared, writes Ms. Holliday: “‘Zero taxpayer dollars should be used to fund abortion. Zero.’ Labeling Planned Parenthood a ‘baby-killing machine’ that makes ‘a profit by chopping up … babies,’ he called it ‘sick and wrong,’ and stressed that the government’s ‘basic duty is to defend life, not destroy it.’”

And then, of course, there was Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), long the chairman of the House Pro-Life Caucus, who, notes Ms. Holliday, “call[ed] Planned Parenthood ‘Child Abuse Incorporated.’ …

“Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC) told TWS, ‘Without respect for the dignity of all people, our founding principles are meaningless. For decades, these basic truths in our Constitution, like the right to life and equal protection, have been ignored.’ He noted that ‘in a post-Dobbs America, we have a historic opportunity to end abortion once and for all.’ Harris explained,” writes Ms. Holliday, “that ‘there is growing momentum across the country to end the horrific practice of legalized murder,’ and he specifically thanked the pro-lifers who came to Capitol Hill as part of that mission. ‘I’m encouraged that there are so many Americans willing to advocate for life in Washington! Republicans must make the most of our trifecta,’” said Rep. Harris, “‘and deliver wins for the American people – including Americans inside the womb. No more excuses,’” he said. “‘We must boldly create a culture of life.’

“In a similar sentiment, Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS) shared with TWS that ‘It is always encouraging to see people from across our nation supporting pro-life policies.’ Ultimately, he said, ‘My faith is central to my work in Congress to uphold the Constitution and protect the right to life and religious freedoms, including preventing American tax dollars from funding abortion. [And] as a Member of the US House of Representatives, I will always fight for Life.’”

With the President prioritizing the elimination of waste and fraud in government, deeply trimming federal spending, and with the abortion lobby having lost control of both houses of Congress, now is an auspicious time for pro-life citizens to insist that abortionists – such as behemoth Planned Parenthood – be expressly barred from receiving taxpayer funding for any purpose. Capitol switchboard: 202/225-3121 (House) or 202/224-3121 (Senate).

It Should Be Obvious

IT TOOK A DECENT FEDERAL JUDGE to restore an Illinois pregnancy center’s Constitutional right not to advocate abortion to distressed expectant mothers. But, irony of ironies, it was a provision of something called the “Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act” that the judge had to rule against.

That provision was a 2016 amendment to the long-standing state law. It was handed down by US District Judge Iain Johnston, who wrote, according to a news release from the Thomas More Society pro-life law firm, “‘Constitutionally, to obtain the liability shield, the state can’t require medical professionals to discuss with patients what the state believes are the benefits of abortion.”

The judge stopped short, however, of protecting the right of doctors and pregnancy centers not to refer for abortions when clients so request. Explain that! Go ahead, try!

Thomas More Society’s executive vice president, Thomas Olp, reacted, notes the news release: “‘We welcome the court’s ruling striking down Illinois’s attempts to force our pro-life physicians and pregnancy centers to parrot pro-abortion talking points, in violation of their First Amendment rights – a victory we’ve fought for since this case began nearly a decade ago. But we are greatly concerned that the court did not fully protect conscience rights, leaving our clients forced to compromise their deepest beliefs.’”

The case will now move to the 7^th Circuit Court of Appeals for, perhaps, even more years of costly litigation.

Stateside

• AN ALABAMA state lawmaker is proposing a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for donations to pregnancy resource centers. State Rep. Jamie Kiel (R) told a local news podcast, reports Stephen Kokx for LifeSiteNews, “‘Most people think that in 2019, because Alabama voted to do away with abortion, they think that it did away with abortion in Alabama, and that’s not true. … Pregnancy resource centers … provide help to moms who decide to keep their baby,’ [Rep.] Kiel said. ‘I think it’s very important that we continue to support those.’”

• ARKANSAS Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) has signed into law an amendment to the Arkansas Human Life Protection Act and the Arkansas Unborn Child Protection Act, clarifying, reports Skyler Lee for Pregnancy Help News, “how the laws define a ‘medical emergency’ when it comes to abortion.” The HLPA, she notes, “prohibits all abortions except in the rare circumstance where an abortion is needed to save the life of the mother.” The UCPA, she writes, “offers the same regulations and adds the provision for private right of action, allowing individuals to civilly sue anyone who assists in an abortion.” The new law “is intended,” she reports, “to ensure that there is no ambiguity in emergency situations, allowing medical professionals to act without fear of legal repercussions while prioritizing the health and safety of the mother as well as combating misinformation about Arkansas abortion regulations.” It passed the Senate 34 to 0 and the House 96 to 0. “‘Under current law in Arkansas, we prohibit abortion, except [to save] the life of the mother,’ Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R-ElmSprings), one of the lead sponsors of the law, said, according to the Arkansas Times,” quoted by Ms. Lee. “‘What we needed, though, and what was not [previously] done, was a bill clarifying that doctors acting in good faith would not be prosecuted for saving the life of a pregnant mother.’” In passing the follow-up law, Arkansas lawmakers have shielded themselves from abortion-campaign lies in future campaigns.

• COLORADO lawmakers have sent to the governor a bill, reports Stephen Kokx for LifeSiteNews, “that would permit taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions, require state employee health insurance to cover abortion costs and codify abortion until birth.” SB-183 passed the State Senate “in a party line vote, 20-15,” on a Sunday. An identical bill had already passed the Colorado House, “misleadingly named the ‘Reproductive Health Equity Act,’” reports Mr. Kokx. Not surprisingly, Gov. Jared Polis (D) “has indicated he will sign the bill.”

• TENNESSEE State Senators are considering a bill, reports Bridget Sielicki for Live Action, to “make abortion pill distributors liable in wrongful death lawsuits. … The bill also classifies abortion as the ‘wrongful death of an unborn person.’” Said State Sen. Joey Hensley (R), the bill’s sponsor, “‘We are a pro-life state, and we have seen that out-of-state providers are still sending abortion-inducing drugs into the state.’ Senators heard several testimonies about the dangers of mail-order abortion pills,” notes Ms. Sielicki, “including stories about coercion and health complications that are left to be managed by the woman at home alone or by ER or urgent-care physicians rather than by the drug’s prescriber. ‘One of our clients within the last weeks reports that her boyfriend purchased the pills online and forced them into her mouth, causing her body to begin the abortion process even though she intended to parent,’ said [the] community relations director of LifeChoices of Memphis,” quoted by Live Action.

• TEXAS Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is suing the City of SanAntonio after the city council voted $100,000 toward what it calls a “Reproductive Justice Fund” to help aborting mothers from their town to travel out of state to have their babies killed. “‘Beyond being an egregious misuse of public funds, it’s an attack on the pro-life values of our state,’ [Mr.] Paxton said,” reports Antonino Cambria for LifeSiteNews. “‘I will not stand by while rogue cities use tax dollars to circumvent state law and take the innocent lives of unborn children.’” Meanwhile, the Texas state legislature, notes Mr. Cambria, “is currently considering SB-33 that would bar any state taxpayer funds from being used on abortion-related expenses.”

Hey, DOGE, Look Over Here!

Excerpts from March 25, 2025, commentary by Tony Perkins in The Washington Stand

             … The starkest example of waste, fraud and abuse may be found in the abortion industry – particularly at Planned Parenthood, which surpasses National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service in the scope of public funding and controversy.

Let’s talk about waste:

• After the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, Planned Parenthood reportedly raised nearly $500 million. Instead of using that money for healthcare services at their clinics, which the group claims is their priority, much of it went toward the organization’s political and legal interests.

• Meanwhile, $699 million in taxpayer funds supported their clinics, where patient numbers have been steadily declining even as abortion procedures have risen.

• According to the New York Times, Planned Parenthood has spent millions on CEO salaries, such as their national president, Alexis Johnson, whose annual salary in 2023 was $904,000 [not a typo!]. At the same time, very little funding was allocated to staff training – leading to incidents such as botched IUD placements and abortions. …

Let’s talk fraud:

• Planned Parenthood has repeatedly faced allegations of trafficking fetal tissue – “baby body parts” – for profit.

• There are also multiple reports suggesting Planned Parenthood has covered up criminal behavior and sexual abuse involving the very women it claims to serve.

Abuse?

• The organization is increasingly pivoting toward so-called “gender-affirming” hormone therapy, include for minors – something many states are trying to prevent for their young residents.

• Ultimately it’s an abuse of taxpayer dollars to subsidize an entity involved in taking the lives of 400,000 unborn Americans.

             Here is the bottom line: Our leaders should foster true neutrality in public funding and respect the will of citizens who object to financing controversial practices. It’s time to end all government funding for organizations like Planned Parenthood that are killing America’s opportunity to be great again.

Problems with Pushing IVF

Excerpts from March 27, 2025, commentary by Chuck Donovan in The Washington Stand

             The clock ticks on at the White House Domestic Policy Council, charged with coming up with a national policy to support in vitro fertilization by sometime this May. IVF has, in general, broad public support, but the sub-issues in the largely unregulated industry are numerous, and polling on them is scant.

             It is not just that public knowledge of these issues, like genetic screening, sex selection, maternal health impacts, the freezing of large numbers of embryos, and regarding them as property rather than fellow human beings, is limited; it is that the industry has proceeded without regulation and with, as in so many other areas of reproductive technology and policy, very sparse data collection. The Council has the steep task of making headway with an information base that is wholly inadequate to the task.

             A new report from NBC News spells out one dimension of the data dearth: the volume of tort litigation by patients against fertility clinics and related companies. Acknowledging the many reasons why major issues occur with the practice of IVF, the report describes the wide range of problems individuals and couples have faced.

             [Life Advocacy Briefing editor’s note: That report can be found on the Internet at https://www.nbcnews.com/health/womens-health/ivf-errors-legal-protections-nightmare-mistakes-lawsuits]  

             … NBC’s review found more than 300 lawsuits over lost, destroyed or accidentally swapped embryos from 2019-2024. Eighty-two of the lawsuits involved human error in which eggs or embryos were destroyed. Thirteen of the suits involved swapped embryos ending up in the wrong woman. More than 50 other suits involved charges regarding the use of a liquid intended to foster embryonic development that instead destroyed hundreds of them.

             NBC underscores time and again how likely it is that these incidents represent only a small percentage of the cases of gross error and abuse in the fertility industry due to the lack of reporting requirements.

             The knowledge gap is not confined to IVF procedures but to nearly all fertility-related and childbearing practices in the United States: the lack of reporting requirements at the state and federal level, leading to the lack of effective regulation for either patient or embryo protection. …

             Then there’s the weighty set of questions surrounding disputes between members of a couple, often after divorce or relationship breakdown, about the disposition of embryos they have created together and have in storage. …

             The core question devolves into whether human embryos – clearly distinct individuals … – are beings with a right to life and interests to be served in litigation or are mere property available for commercial transaction, lab experiments or indefinite storage. …

             The primary IVF clinic membership organization in the US is the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, whose website reports that as of 2018, some 86% of all US IVF clinics were members. SART is an arm of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), which is dedicated to providing standards, ethics guidelines and other guidance to the assisted reproduction technology community. While the unifying theme of the SART clinics is overcoming infertility, the SART website features images of three couples, two of whom are same-sex couples … .

             IVF clearly involves much more than actual infertility in a male or female partner, and reliance on IVF is the result of multiple forces in society that are overdue for attention. The number of babies born in the US via IVF processes quadrupled between 1996 and 2022. The number is likely to increase further so long as underlying factors remain unaddressed and if the industry moves from being merely an unregulated option to a fully insured or publicly subsidized one, as Pres. Trump’s executive order suggests it should. …

             Mandating insurance coverage or public funding of IVF in the bottom-line interest of making “more babies” is an important issue, but there is much more to the IVF debate than helping infertile couples or, as some would have it, boosting a globally sinking birth rate. …

             The breadth of these issues and their implication for all of humanity should not be lost on the team at the Domestic Policy Council (DPC) charged with crafting new US policy. In addition to the US experience, it should by all accounts review the practices and outcomes overseas where, as with abortion, many countries observe far more conservative, life-protective policies than does the US, where surrogacy tourism is the source of many troubling headlines.

             The DPC includes the President, the Vice President, Cabinet secretaries and 20 to 30 professional staff. It encompasses a vast array of issues from education and housing to health, transportation, the environment and many more. Given the pace of action in the new Administration, it is assuredly taxed to the max.

             With this reality and the novelty and complexity of IVF, compounded by the lack of data at the national and clinical level, the 90-day timetable imposed by the executive order represents a dubious approach to this generation-altering issue. As an alternative, the DPC would be wise to recommend a thorough, wide-ranging and public examination of all the issues raised not just by IVF but by unprecedented trends in infertility, marriage, demographics and other phenomena for which IVF, even aggressively pursued, is manifestly not the answer. …

             Americans are a compassionate people, but before we embark on a path that would entangle taxpayers in programs that destroy far more fellow human beings than we save, it would be wise to pause and consider the universal values at stake.