When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the decision seemed to be the finishing line of nearly 50 years of pro-life work. Instead, it led to a new starting line. Frank Pavone with Priests for Life explains, “For both the pro-life and the pro-choice movements a change occurred, that neither side was fully prepared for.” That adjustment has been messy. Some states have tightened abortion laws, while many others have expanded access. “Much of this is a natural consequence of leaving abortion policy to what essentially are 52 different jurisdictions, there’s the 50 states, there’s DC, which has its own jurisdiction, and then there’s the federal government,” Pavone says. While President Trump has supported federal pro-life policies, he has insisted states decide the question of abortion bans. Chad Connelly with Faith Wins says “I think there’s going to have to be some federal guidelines so that states like Illinois, Massachusetts, and California and New York aren’t killing babies up till birth. The biggest controversy centres on the abortion pill mifepristone.
Many pro-life activists want stronger federal action, and a closer review of its safety and distribution. They also see the mailing of abortion pills as bypassing state restrictions. Trump, though, remains largely silent on the issue. Last month, the President relieved FDA Commissioner Marty Makary of his duties, in part due to the pro-life complaints over how the agency handled mifepristone. It should be noted that the abortion rate has risen since Roe v. Wade ended, mostly due to the abortion pill, which now accounts for roughly 63% of all abortions. Connelly says. “We want to see some regulations, some guidelines put in place. And it starts with policy. And it really matters what happens at FDA level.” There’s no doubt the abortion pill issue puts President Trump in a political bind because it exposes a growing tension inside his coalition. The result is a delicate balancing act: hold on to pro-life supporters who expect more action, while not reopening a national abortion battle before the midterm elections that could create political headaches his administration would rather avoid.
Connelly hopes the change at the FDA takes off some of the pressure. “I sure hope that pro-life voters see that the president and the administration are paying attention to these concerns and not just sloughing them off.” As pro-life voters get set to vote in the upcoming midterm elections, Frank Pavone says they need to understand something important going forward. “I think a key distinction has to be made. He is the most pro-life president, but when we say the most pro-life president, we’re talking about his role as president. We’re not saying he’s the most pro-life activist or a pro-life leader. We don’t need him to be. We need him to do the job the president is supposed to do to help the pro-life movement achieve its goal, which, of course, is the eradication of all abortion, the protection of every unborn child. Is he leading us closer to that goal? What are the results? Absolutely. He’s leading us closer to that goal than we’ve ever been before.” And the pro-life movement intends to hold him accountable each step of the way.
Source: CBNNews
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