Recent Pro-Life Wins from Congress Members and Legislative Successes

Despite having the most pro-abortion administration the United States has ever had, there were some wins on Capitol Hill in the last couple of weeks, as Republicans stood in the gap to stop the Democratic Party’s agenda of unlimited, taxpayer funded abortion.  

 

Pro-Abortion Democrats FAILED:  

Democrats attempted an exercise on the Senate floor by asking for unanimous consent to vote on the following pieces of extremist pro-abortion legislation:  

1. S.2053 – Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act of 2023 – Cortez Masto 
2. S.1297 – Let Doctors Provide Reproductive Health Care Act – Rosen/Murray 
3. S.2024 – Reproductive Health Care Training Act of 2023 – Baldwin 

Senators Budd (R-NC), Hyde-Smith(R-MS), and Marshall (R-KS) opposed the bills, which ultimately blocked them from moving forward for a vote. Extreme pro-abortion U.S. Senate Democrats attempted to make the GOP look “unreasonable” and “extreme” when in reality these pieces of legislation would go farther than Roe ever did, enshrining abortion up until the moment of birth for any reason. We know from our polling more than 9 out of 10 of the Youth Vote disagree with the Democrat’s extreme position on abortion.  

 

New Life at Conception Act Introduced:  

Over the last year, Students for Life Action has been working closely with Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) on introducing a strong Life at Conception Act in the U.S. House. Last week, the Life Act was finally introduced. See our letter highlighting its importance HERE.  

 

Challenging the Department of Education Abortion agenda:  

Rep. Mary Miller introduced a house resolution disapproving this final rule entitled:  Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance – Her resolution: H.J. Res. 165  entitled: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education, relating to “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.”  

This joint resolution nullifies this final rule issued by the Department of Education. The final rule addresses Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs or activities. Among other elements, the rule establishes certain definitions related to sex-based harassment and establishes additional requirements for grievance procedures. The definition of pregnancy or related conditions (pg. 33883) includes “termination of pregnancy. The definition of discrimination on the basis of sex (pg. 33886). It is defined to include “discrimination on the basis of sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, pregnancy or related conditions, sexual orientation, and gender identity.” This resolution passed the House on July 11th, 2024.  

 

Preventing Forced Abortions Act introduced:  

Rep. Ogles (TN-5) introduced a new bill entitled the Preventing Forced Abortions Act of 2024. Students for Life Action supports this bill and Rep. Ogles’ effort to protect not only the preborn but also women who decide to go through surrogacy and are not forced to kill the child in their womb if the baby is unwanted.  

 

Blocking Biden Admin weaponization of power:  

Despite the loss of the EMTALA case (in which the Biden Administration used a law demanding care for poor people in emergency rooms to force pro-life states to allow abortions in emergency rooms), House Republicans are still working to block the Biden administration’s overreaching executive actions to force abortion. For far too long, the Biden Administration and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have weaponized their power against pro-lifers and medical providers. Students for Life Action is very pleased to see Congressional Republicans acting against his overreaching abuse of power.  

 

CJS Budget wins:  

The FY2025 Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriations package passed in committee on July 9th which has the following pro-life provisions included: 

 

Longstanding Protections: 

• Page 69: Abortion Funding for Prisoners – Prevents taxpayer dollars from funding abortion for federal prisoners and provides conscience protection for prison employees. (Enacted in FYs 1996-2024) 
• Page 97: Legal Services Corporation – Prevents Legal Services Corporation (LSC) funds going to organizations that engage in abortion-related litigation. (Enacted in FYs 1996-2023). This pro-life provision is maintained, by reference. (By reference of Public Law 105-119 which references Section 504 (a) 14 of Public Law 104-134). 

  

Key Funding Level: 

• Page 29: The general legal activities account is funded at $988 million.  This is $101 million less than FY2024 enacted levels.  This account funds the Civil Rights Division, which is responsible for enforcing the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and has weaponized it to protect and promote a pro-abortion agenda. 

  

New Protections: 

• Page 142: Defunds the DOJ Reproductive Rights Task Force– Established July 2022, the work of the DOJ Reproductive Rights Task Force includes promoting surgical and chemical abortion and monitoring pro-life state legislation and actions.
  

• Page 142: No Funds for Challenging Pro-Life State Laws– Adds language preventing funds from being used to sue a state or local government over their abortion laws or being used to intervene in a case or file an amicus brief.
  

• Page 155: Defunds the Final Rule for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act– Prevents funding from being used to implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA).  Congress passed the PWFA, without any mention of elective abortion, to establish workplace protections for pregnant women. In a staggering act of executive overreach, the final rule uses the PWFA to establish a nationwide requirement that employers make “reasonable accommodations” to enable employees to obtain elective abortions, including providing leave to obtain them. 

 

 

Republicans Leading on Calling out the military weaponization against pro-lifers:  

MILITARY.COM: Top Republicans Fume After Botched Army Terrorism Briefing Named Anti-Abortion Groups 

Leading Republican lawmakers are demanding answers from the Army after gate security at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, was given an anti-terrorism briefing that lumped mainstream anti-abortion groups in with extremist groups. The slide presentation was botched in many ways, including also labeling non-violent, left-wing groups as terrorists. But Republicans are homing in on the anti-abortion slide to charge that the Army is targeting conservative political beliefs.House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., personnel subcommittee Chairman Jim Banks, R-Ind., and other committee Republicans sent a letter to Army Secretary Christine Wormuth over the weekend calling for answers by July 25 on how the slideshow came to be. Another group of more than 80 Republicans in the House and Senate, led by Sen. Ted Budd and Rep. Rich Hudson, both of North Carolina, also sent a letter to Wormuth on Friday, calling the slideshow’s inclusion of anti-abortion groups “despicable.” 

 

All this is just a reminder that there is hope, that the pro-life movement does have some strong partners in Washington D.C., and that there are still opportunities to protect life in law and in service, even federally when we work together!  

 

Send a message to President Trump and Republicans in Congress that you want to see more of the same!