Kurt Weaver, our Director of Strategic Partnerships had the honor of visiting the White House for a pro-life briefing this week by invitation of the Office of the Vice President. During the “Life is Winning” event, Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of Health Alex Azar, Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, and many others gave reports on the impact this administration has had on the sanctity of life here and around the world.

There were many pro-life advances over the past four years. The most obvious: the hundreds of pro-life judges appointed by the Trump administration, and key pro-life appointments throughout the executive branch, followed by policy enactments and regulations that support the sanctity of life.

Aside from the obvious benefits of judicial appointments, the Administration placed pro-life personnel in key positions throughout the Administration, which resulted in tramendous advancements that protected human life.HHS instituted a “Protect Life” regulation that ensured that Title X clinics would be financially and physically separate from abortion facilities and would not refer patients for abortions. Since the implementation of the rule, Planned Parenthood and several pro-abortion states voluntarily decided to withdraw from the program and forgo millions of taxpayer funding rather than stop performing abortions. 

The administration also worked to end HHS funding for medical research using human fetal tissue and to protect the religious and moral rights of organizations, health care professionals and other individuals who oppose abortion. The administration instituted a HHS conscience and Religious Freedom Division and investigated and issued a notice of violation to the University of Vermont Medical Center for forcing a nurse to participate in an abortion despite a conscience objection.  In addition, HHS put strategic language in its mission to serve and protect all Americans “at every stage of life, from conceptions” and to advance global health security through respect for “the inherent dignity of persons from conception to natural death.” 

When democrats took over the house of representatives, the president sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in which he promised to veto any legislation that weakens current pro-life Federal policies and laws.It is extremely concerning to consider that the incoming HHS Director selected by Joe Biden, California AG Xavier Becerra, is, like our own AG Josh Shapiro, an adamant advocate for extreme abortion. He has tried to force pro-life pregancy centers to refer people for abortions until SCOTUS stopped him, he voted for partial birth abortion, and he continued prosecution (started by his AG predecesor Kamala Harris) of David Daleiden, the citizen journalist who exposed Planned Parenthood’s role in baby part’s trafficking. Internationally, the Trump administration ended Federal funding of foreign organizations who perform or promote abortions, and expanded the policy to include more than $8 billion in global health assistance. 

In addition, the US opposed efforts at the United Nations to make abortion an international human right while advocating for the protection of women and children, born and unborn, as a global health priority.The administration also signed the Geneva Consensus Declaration, a historic document strengthening an international coalition to achieve better health for women, the preservation of human life, support for the family as foundational to a healthy society, and the protection of national sovereignty in global politics. 

Life is Winning but, sadly, there is still much to do. Let’s keep making our voices heard for the voiceless.