Life Advocacy Briefing

Question of the Week

NOW THAT DR. JAY BHATTACHARYA HAS BEEN CONFIRMED as director of the National Institutes of Health, will he withdraw funding from outfits like the University of Pittsburgh for their federally funded Nazi-style experiments using human body parts harvested from aborted babies, and will Congress bar such atrocities in future authorizations of NIH funding?

D.O.J. Intervenes on Behalf of Abortion Industry

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION – through the Justice Department – has taken the side of the abortion industry in a lawsuit challenging Biden-era rules allowing use of the post office to deliver mifepristone abortion pills despite a federal law adopted in the 19^th century barring use of the mails for distribution of deadly substances. The current lawsuit has been brought by the states of Idaho, Kansas and Missouri and is under consideration in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

The Justice Department on May 5, reports Calvin Freiburger for LifeSiteNews, “filed a motion to dismiss [the lawsuit] on multiple grounds, from ‘[t]heir claims have no connection to the Northern District of Texas’ to ‘[t]he mere fact that someone might violate state law does not by itself injure the government’ to ‘fail[ure] to identify any actual or imminent controversy over whether any of their laws are preempted’ to ‘[t]he states fail to cite any precedent supporting their theory that they can sue over any policy that affects their potential future birthright.’”

Though President Trump has proclaimed his personal attitude that abortion law should be up to the states, under the Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling, his Justice Dept. appears to be resisting cooperation with states whose own laws resist cross-border distribution of abortifacient poisons. 

“Trump has taken a number of pro-life actions since returning to office,” notes Mr. Freiburger, “but said on the campaign trail that he would not enforce the federal law against mailing abortion pills, as part of his broader push to make the Republican Party more ‘centrist’ on Life.

“Trump’s Health & Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., suggested in February that he would study the health risks of abortion pills, which gave pro-lifers hope of a reversal,” writes Mr. Freiburger. “But no action has been taken since then, and, most recently, FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said he had ‘no plans to take action’ on abortion pills, while acknowledging that new data might change his mind.”

The Justice Dept. intervention in the three states’ lawsuit drew an immediate response from Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), who, reports LifeSiteNews writer Doug Mainwaring, “sent a letter [last] Wednesday to Attorney General Pam Bondi, urging the Justice Dept. to reconsider its defense of the Biden Administration’s policy on mifepristone …

“‘While the grounds for dismissal sought are mostly procedural in nature,’” wrote Sen. Hawley, quoted by Mr. Mainwaring, “‘I am troubled by the fact that the Justice Dept. has sided with the Biden Administration’s position, especially considering new data showing the harms of chemical abortion for women. I urge you to reconsider.’

“A statement from [Sen.] Hawley’s office cited the Ethics & Public Policy Center’s bombshell new study that found that more than one in 10 women who use mifepristone suffer sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, an emergency room visit or another serious adverse event within 45 days.” Not to mention the mental anguish resulting from aborting alone and having to dispose of the baby’s remains – or the misuse of mifepristone to force an abortion on an unwitting expectant mother.

They Need to Hear from You

AS CONGRESS BEARS DOWN ON BUDGET RECONCILIATION, frustrations are appearing within the majority conferences in the US House and Senate. Priorities vary, but among those being debated privately among Members, it is becoming increasingly clear that the cause of Life is one of those arenas of contention, despite control of both chambers by the generally pro-life-leaning GOP.

We will be picking up a few news bites from the states, but much of this edition will focus on news reports and commentaries emerging from our nation’s capital. We hope our readers will weigh in with their own Members of Congress and US Senators with messages urging attention to abortion policy in their critical deliberations.

With GOP Members having been coached in their 2024 campaigns to suppress discussion of their abortion stands and almost no attention having been paid to the cause of Life in the first few months of this Congress, it is more important than ever for pro-life citizens to weigh in, particularly in states and districts where elected Members are new.

Capitol switchboards: 202/225-3121 (House) and 202/224-3121 (Senate).

Will Planned Parenthood Keep Getting our Federal Tax $?

A REPORT IN THE MAY 6 EDITION of The Washington Stand, published by Family Research Council, and attributed to Sarah Holliday, offers insight into the intramural battles being waged to hold the GOP true to its long-standing principle opposing abortion – especially in the context of demanding an end to the misuse of tax dollars to promote it. We reprint that TWS here:

             Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) wants the big budget reconciliation plan extending Pres. Donald Trump’s tax cuts sent to his desk – ready for signature – by July 4. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) would like it even sooner: Memorial Day. That tight timeline is forcing Congress into high-stakes negotiations to unify on a budget. Meanwhile, Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) is waging a fierce campaign among her Republican colleagues to make defunding Planned Parenthood a non-negotiable piece of the final proposal.

             On Monday, [Rep.] Miller sent a passionate letter to Rep. Brent Guthrie (R-KY), chairman of the House Committee on Energy & Commerce, obtained by Breitbart News. In it, she urged Guthrie to “use every legislative option available to cease all federal funds going to Planned Parenthood,” exposing the organization’s deep entanglement in abortion and transgender treatments. “Abortions and transgender treatments have exploded in clinics across the country,” she wrote.

             Citing the Charlotte Lozier Institute, Miller highlighted that “abortions made up 97.1% of Planned Parenthood’s pregnancy services from 2021-2022, performing nearly 400,000 abortions.” She also underscored the crisis in her home state, noting, “In 2023, my home state of Illinois performed 72,143 abortions, the most in our history, since the state started reporting abortion totals in 1973.” Miller laid bare Planned Parenthood’s financial empire, stating, “Due to a lack of decisive Congressional action, Planned Parenthood has become a federally funded [so-called] health network with private assets valued at $2.5 billion. Recent numbers show that Planned Parenthood received nearly $700 million in taxpayer revenue from 2022-2023.”

             Her letter concluded with a call to action: “It is essential that we protect taxpayer dollars and stop funding this organization. Pres. Trump has already issued an Executive Order that implements such a plan. Therefore, I urge you to do everything possible to ensure Planned Parenthood never receives another penny of taxpayer dollars.”

             Speaking to Breitbart, Miller doubled down, declaring, “Planned Parenthood is a multi-billion-dollar abortion business that continues to receive millions in federal funding.” She praised Trump’s leadership, stating, “Pres. Trump had it right when he issued an Executive Order to cut off taxpayer dollars from abortion providers like Planned Parenthood,” and insisted, “it’s time for Congress to make that policy permanent. I urge the Energy & Commerce Committee to ensure that not another dime of American tax dollars goes to this murder-for-profit organization.”*

             Miller’s crusade is part of a broader Republican offensive. In late March, pro-life advocates and lawmakers united for the Big Abortion Lobby Day, pressing Congress to shield taxpayer dollars from funding abortion. Several GOP lawmakers, including Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), have repeatedly echoed the same demands as Miller, introducing legislation to defund Planned Parenthood and advocating for [defunding language] inclusion in the reconciliation package.

             House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) signaled strong intent to confront “big abortion” in the budget reconciliation, according to Fox News. Two sources close to the House Energy & Commerce Committee told reporters that defunding Planned Parenthood is under serious consideration as lawmakers seek $1.5 trillion in spending cuts to offset Trump’s tax priorities. “[I]t’s been discussed,” Guthrie confirmed. “We are working on a lot of different options, but that’s been discussed.”

             And it’s not just Republicans who are calling for this action. An army of pro-life Americans are chiming in as well. In March, when Miller shared a post about her push to defund abortion businesses, those in the comments expressed their shared passion to defund Planned Parenthood. “Cut them off forever,” one wrote. “How did taxpayers ever get forced to pay for someone else’s abortion in the first place?” another questioned. “Defund Planned Parenthood.” For pro-lifers near and far, one comment hit the nail on the head: “The American people don’t want to pay for abortion.”

[Life Advocacy Briefing editor’s note: Here we interrupt to call our readers’ attention to the change in tone in the paragraphs below, perhaps meriting polite but insistent phone calls to Senate Majority Leader Thune’s office regardless of the caller’s state of residence. His office number is 202/224-3135]

             Thune, speaking to Breitbart, outlined the sweeping scope of the reconciliation agenda, emphasizing its alignment with Trump’s campaign promises. “[T]he objective in reconciliation is border security, it’s national security, it’s rebuilding the military,” he said. “It’s tax relief. … It’s cutting spending. And it’s creating energy dominance for this country. Those are all agenda items the President campaigned on, the American people voted for, and we need to deliver on.” He acknowledged the complexity, noting, “there are a lot of moving parts around it. … But … I always believe you under-promise and over-deliver. So, as we look at what we have to get done, we want to be sure it gets done right.”

             According to Mary Szoch, director of Family Research Council’s Center for Human Dignity, including the defund abortion agenda is worth every ounce of effort. As she put it, “American taxpayers do not want their tax dollars paying for the killing of unborn children. This makes sense – who wants their hard-earned money used to kill a human being?

             “Moreover,” she continued, “Planned Parenthood specifically is guilty of not only killing millions of unborn children, but they are also guilty of being one of the largest providers of hormones to minors who are experiencing gender dysphoria.” Ultimately, Szoch concluded, “This organization should not receive any money from taxpayers. Thank goodness for the work of pro-life Congressmen and -women who are trying to protect American taxpayers from unwillingly taking part in this evil.”

*Life Advocacy Briefing editor’s note: We note with approval Rep. Miller’s use of direct, frank rhetoric in publicly exposing Planned Parenthood, knowing that the abortion giant is also a massive investor in political campaigns targeting pro-life lawmakers. The best defense, dear Reader, is a good offense. Rep. Miller is to be congratulated on her forthright public statements; they will serve her well, politically, while many of her colleagues invite political aggression by their reticence, anemic rhetoric and equivocation.

Victory in Court

A FEDERAL JUDGE in the Northern District of North Dakota ruled in mid-April, reports Joshua Arnold for The Washington Stand, that “Catholic businesses may not be forced to subsidize abortions or fertility treatments.” Judge Daniel Traynor, appointed to the bench by President Donald Trump in 2019, “granted 9,000 Catholic businesses a permanent injunction,” writes Mr. Arnold, “against an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) rule requiring employers to provide abortion-related leave and other practices contrary to these businesses’ religious beliefs.”

The 2019 rule effectively rewrote the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act without Congressional involvement, simply by executive-branch regulation. The language of the Act itself, notes Mr. Arnold, “requires protections for ‘pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.’ The EEOC rule dramatically expanded this language to include ‘current pregnancy, past pregnancy, potential pregnancy, lactation (including breastfeeding and pumping), use of birth control, menstruation, infertility and fertility treatments, endometriosis, miscarriage, stillbirth or having or choosing not to have an abortion, among other conditions.’

“The inclusion of abortion effectively reversed the pro-life effect of the law,” writes Mr. Arnold, “and the explicit inclusion of fertility treatments also ran afoul of the religious convictions of some Catholics” as well as some others. So, the Catholic Diocese of Bismarck and the Catholic Benefits Assn., reports Mr. Arnold, “challenged the EEOC rule in federal court, claiming that it violated their rights under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act,” not to mention the Bill of Rights!

Wrote Judge Traynor, quoted by Mr. Arnold, “‘Upholding Constitutional rights always weighs in favor of the public interest … The agency should have known it would not be allowed to force individuals to violate sincerely held religious beliefs.’”

Stateside

• ARKANSAS GOV. SARAH SANDERS (R) HAS SIGNED LEGISLATION establishing grants for pregnancy centers, maternity homes, adoption agencies and other charities which, writes Calvin Freiburger for LifeSiteNews, “encourag[e] mothers in difficult pregnancies to choose life. … Eligible types of facilities include pregnancy centers, maternity homes, adoption agencies and other charities. Organizations involved in abortion are not eligible.” Said Arkansas Family Council, quoted by Mr. Freiburger, “‘Pro-lifers in Arkansas have worked hard to prohibit abortion. We need to work to make abortion irrelevant and unthinkable as well. Supporting pregnancy centers is one way we can do that.’”

• THOUGH IN ROME FOR THE CONSEQUENTIAL GATHERING of his church’s conference of Cardinals, New York Roman Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan issued a statement last Tuesday “rebuk[ing] an assisted suicide bill” that had passed the New York State Assembly on April 29. The vote, reports Stephen Kokx for LifeSiteNews, was 81 to 67. “The measure still needs to pass the New York State Senate,” he writes, “and obtain the approval of Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, who identifies as a Catholic but has repeatedly supported policies directly at odds with immutable church teaching.” Said Cardinal Dolan, quoted by Mr. Kokx: “‘State-sanctioned suicide turns everything society knows and believes about medicine on its head. Doctors go from healers to killers.’” Well said. And he “warned,” again quoted by LifeSiteNews, “that the bill would act as a Pandora’s box used to pressure ‘the sick, elderly and the depressed to end their own lives.’”

• TENNESSEE GOV. BILL LEE (R) HAS SIGNED “a ‘Trojan horse’ bill backed by the ACLU,” reports Doug Mainwaring for LifeSiteNews, “that declares a ‘right’ to contraception and embryo-destroying in vitro fertilization (IVF).” The measure “had sailed through Tennessee’s legislature,” notes Mr. Mainwaring, though the body is controlled by Republicans, who are being ill served by party leaders in their lack of understanding of the dangers presented. GOP Rep. Gino Bulso is to be commended for resisting the largely misunderstood measure. “‘We already encode [in state law] on the one hand that an embryo is a person,’” he said, quoted by Mr. Mainwaring. “‘It’s an unborn child, yet this bill creates a statutory right to create and destroy human embryos without limitation of any kind, just wantonly,’” he said. The LifeSiteNews report quotes Katy Faust, founder of Them Before Us, an organization, notes Mr. Mainwaring, “dedicated to putting the rights of children over the desires of adults.” She called the legislation’s passage “‘a massive loss for pre-born children in a state that claims to be pro-life.’” Quoted by LifeSiteNews in a February report, Ms. Faust declared, “‘When you look at the numbers that we are able to put together, what we see is IVF, big fertility, the baby-making industry, victimizes about four million children every year in terms of violating their right to life.’” And Mr. Mainwaring quotes from an earlier LifeSiteNews story, when the bill passed the House, “Rep. Chris Todd and 10 of his colleagues urged the governor to veto the bill, saying it ‘is a Trojan horse that could potentially undermine Tennessee’s strong and righteous stance on the protection of innocent human life.’” Explains Mr. Mainwaring, “When couples or individuals choose to create children using IVF, many more eggs are fertilized than necessary as an insurance policy in case first attempts at successful pregnancies fail. Stored embryos deemed to be no longer necessary for the parents’ pursuit of a family – often numbering a dozen or more – are discarded as medical waste. … The IVF industry cannot survive,” he writes, “without the killing of 93% of children the process creates.”

• VIRGINIA GOV. GLENN YOUNGKIN HAS VETOED two bills, reports Calvin Freiburger for LifeSiteNews, “to promote abortion pills” and signed one “to study ‘embryo banking,’” a bill, notes Mr. Freiburger, “that could open the door to an expansion of embryo-destructive in vitro fertilization (IVF).” The two vetoed bills, LSN notes, “would have established a general ‘right to contraception,’ including for minors without parental involvement,” and “would have forced health insurance companies to cover abortifacient contraceptives without exemptions for religious or conscience reasons.” In both instances, Gov. Youngkin cited the legislature’s refusal to add conscience protection as a major reason for his vetoes. Abortion policy will be a key issue in the legislative and gubernatorial elections this November in the commonwealth.

Wisdom from the Great Communicator

EXCERPT #4 from Abortion & the Conscience of the Nation, 1983 treatise by then-President Ronald Reagan, published in Human Life Review, then as a hardcover book from Thomas Nelson Publishers

             Abortion concerns not just the unborn child, it concerns every one of us. The English poet, John Donne, wrote: “… any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore, never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”