In June of this year, we celebrated the third anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling that overturned the Roe v. Wade decision. While pro-life advocates rejoiced, pro-abortion activists spread fear and lies. The Biden administration deployed every tactic to undermine the ruling. Unfortunately, last year’s abortion count in the United States reached nearly 1.04 million deaths — a slight increase from the previous year. The pro-life movement remains strong, and we are now seeing the fruits of electing pro-life Republicans to office.
Shortly after the Dobbs decision, Biden’s Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that military personnel could receive federal reimbursement to travel out of their state to obtain “non-covered reproductive health care,” i.e., abortions. This included the costs of lodging, meals, and round-trip transportation for themselves and their dependents. Since 1967, the Hyde Amendment prohibited funding abortions or abortion-related services for military personnel and their families except in cases of incest, rape, or circumstances that threaten the life of the mother. Federal funds paying for the associated costs surrounding abortion — up through birth — was a clear violation of the Hyde Amendment.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) stood up largely alone against this egregious policy. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, he refused to vote in favor of military promotions as long as the policy remained in place. The committee could not pass a single promotion without his vote. He was able to maintain this hold on appointments successfully for 10 months. While the Biden Administration refused to back down, the election of Donald Trump brought needed change. In January of this year, the DOD issued a memo announcing it would no longer pay for abortion travel. Then, last week, the Trump administration went further proposing a rule to prohibit any abortions without exceptions from being performed in Veterans Affairs hospitals.
Planned Parenthood has also been in the crosshairs of the Republican leadership in Congress and the states. The abortion giant used to tout their myriad of services from mammograms to prenatal health care. But those services were largely nonexistent. Their main aim and revenue stream have always been performing abortions. In recent years, they have added providing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to vulnerable youth to their money-making plate. Thankfully, Planned Parenthood took a major hit this year from the actions of Congress and the Trump Administration. The One Big Beautiful Bill prohibited funds from going to large abortion providers for one year. In addition, pro-life states are passing laws to make sure that state Medicaid dollars aren’t used for abortions, and the Supreme Court recently upheld the states’ ability to do so. The Administration has also put an end to federal funding of so-called “gender transition” services. So far, 40 Planned Parenthood facilities have shuttered their doors, saving hundreds of thousands of lives.
As money and access have dried up for surgical abortions, the abortion industry has pivoted to “medication” abortions — a multi-pill regimen women can do at home that now makes up 63% of abortions in the United States. These abortion-inducing drugs are 22 times more dangerous than the manufacturers would have you believe. The Ethics and Public Policy Center has conducted extensive research into the effects of mifepristone, noting that 1 in 9 women have suffered life-threatening complications including sepsis and hemorrhaging.
In 2022, the West Virginia legislature passed a law prohibiting abortions in most cases. GenBioPro, the manufacturer of a generic version of mifepristone, sued the state claiming the FDA’s approval of the abortion-inducing drug should preempt state law. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, however, ruled in favor of West Virginia and said states could restrict access to these drugs, giving a green light to other states to follow suit.
Twenty-two state attorneys general have written a letter urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reestablish guardrails for abortion drugs, such as requiring in-person visits and follow-ups with a doctor rather than telehealth appointments. Texas lawmakers also began moving legislation that will allow any Texan to sue manufacturers or distributors of abortion-inducing drugs for devastating complications.
Before he earned the top leadership position of the House, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) was an outspoken opponent of the reckless practice of mailing abortion drugs to women, which soared during the COVID-19 lockdowns. In an interview with Students for Life Action, he commented:
Of the things we’re on the lookout for is the use of chemical abortions because there’s this move towards telemedicine and off-site medical treatment and that kind of thing. ‘We need to be able to treat people remotely, and so we’ll just mail them a chemical that will induce the abortion.’ You know: a pill or a syringe or whatever it is. We have to be very vigilant about that.
Many Congressional Republicans are advocating for restrictions on the chemical abortion drugs. Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) has introduced the Pregnancy is Not an Illness Act (H.R. 795) to nullify the Biden administration’s FDA approval of mifepristone and the Second Chance for Moms Act (H.R. 796) to require labeling on these drugs explaining abortion reversal options. In the Senate, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced the Restoring Safeguards for Dangerous Abortion Drugs Act (S. 1631) that would place federal safety protocols on mifepristone. Additionally, in recent appropriations bills and the drafted reauthorization of the National Defense Authorization Act, the Hyde Amendment is reiterated.
While we are appreciative of these efforts, we must encourage our lawmakers to push for more pro-life laws. Some Republicans in blue states feel as though they must shy away from the topic in order to win reelection. Life has never been a losing issue, and lawmakers need to hear from their constituents who believe in the sanctity of life. You can help encourage your Members in-person by joining us for Eagle Council 53 in Washington, D.C., from September 8-11. Attendees have until August 18th to reserve a room in our block. To learn more, visit our website here.
