WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its annual “Abortion Surveillance Report” for the year 2020. The numbers showed a decline in abortions from the 2019 survey and a continuing steady decline in abortion numbers since 2011.

The numbers reported by the CDC are confusing when compared to the numbers from the Guttmacher Institute because the CDC shows a decrease in the number of abortions while Guttmacher showed an increase for the same year. Relying on reports from health departments across the country, the CDC reported 620,327 abortions for 2020 compared to 629,898 abortions for 2019. While it is an indication of abortion trends, this figure does not provide a complete picture of abortion in the United States. California, the nation’s most populous state, New Hampshire, and Maryland do not report abortion data to the CDC.

The numbers reported today are all from 2020, two years prior to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in June that reversed Roe v. Wade.

“During 2020, federal agencies, state, and local governments were seeking to save lives with masks, COVID tests, and vaccines while abortion clinics were destroying the lives of unborn babies every day,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Those who advocate for more and more abortions clearly don’t care about unborn babies or their mothers.”

Tragically, based on today’s report, the number of chemical abortions performed less than or at 9 weeks’ gestation has risen to 51%.

In 2020, in the reporting areas included in the report, the CDC found an abortion rate of 11.2 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years which is a decrease of 2%. The CDC found a ratio of 198 abortions per 1,000 live births which is an increase of 2% from 2019.

“The pro-life movement is encouraged that abortion numbers have been greatly reduced from a peak of 1.6 million in 1980 and still remain below one million. Even with the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs that reversed Roe v. Wade, the pro-life movement recognizes that there is still much work to be done to protect innocent unborn babies and their mothers,” said Tobias.

In 2016, the FDA revised its guidelines to allow the use of the abortion drug mifepristone as late as 10 weeks in pregnancy. According to the CDC’s report for 2020, 53.4%[1] of abortions were chemical abortions.

“The use of the chemical abortion method appears to be on the rise,” said Randall K. O’Bannon, Ph.D., director of Education and Research for National Right to Life. “The number of chemical abortions might be lower if women were told the truth about the deaths and injuries associated with chemical abortion methods. Instead, the abortion industry peddles lies about the ease of the method and pushes for fewer and fewer protections for women undergoing a chemical abortion.”

Dr. O’Bannon continued, “Promoters of these pills like to trumpet high safety rates, but neglect to mention how that with hundreds of thousands of women taking these pills, even a couple of percentage points of women hemorrhaging, dealing with infections, and ectopic pregnancy, represents thousands of women desperately seeking treatment, which may or may not be nearby.”

The full report from the CDC can be found here.

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

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[1] The CDC report splits chemical abortion numbers into two categories: those occurring less than or equal to 9 weeks gestation (51.0%) and those occurring after 9 weeks gestation (2.4%). Together, these percentages total 53.4%.

Republicans Secure House Majority with 218 Seats

WASHINGTON – The Republican Party has officially regained the House of Representatives by securing 218 seats on Wednesday.

Six races have yet to be called and may increase the number of seats held by Republicans.

Losing her role as Speaker of the House, pro-abortion Democrat Nancy Pelosi also steps down as leader of the House Democrats after more than 20 years in the role.

“Nancy Pelosi has carried water for pro-abortion groups since day one,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Pelosi’s leadership will go down in history as one that pandered to the abortion industry and engendered extreme pro-abortion policies. Her legacy is a legacy of death and destruction for the most vulnerable among us.”

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has been nominated as Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) will become majority leader, Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) will become majority whip, and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) will become the chairwoman of the House GOP Conference. In contrast to Nancy Pelosi, each of them has respect for the lives of unborn children.

“President Biden, Chuck Schumer, and Nancy Pelosi have done untold harm to American women and their unborn children through their work to secure unlimited abortion,” said Tobias. “The new leadership in the house will hold the line against pro-abortion policies advanced by the pro-abortion team of President Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.”

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON – The following is a statement by Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life:

National Right to Life congratulates Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on his nomination for Speaker of the House of Representatives. National Right to Life also congratulates Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) on his election for majority leader, Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) for whip, and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) for chairwoman of the House GOP Conference. This team has played a vital role in advancing legislation on the right to life and protecting women and their unborn children. We look forward to working with them in the upcoming Congress.

President Biden and the pro-abortion Democrats have reversed protective pro-life policies, worked to pass sweeping pro-abortion legislation that would make unlimited abortion the law of the land, and promoted abortion through government programs and activities. This leadership team will stand up to Biden and Democrats in Congress who have made unlimited abortion a priority.

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON — Increasingly, pro-abortion groups and their allies are taking aim at making abortion drugs, including mifepristone and misoprostol, readily available to women through mail order and third-party websites. In doing so, they are creating opportunities for unscrupulous persons to force abortions on women.

“Anyone with a credit card and a mailing address can order abortion-inducing drugs,” stated Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “This can put a woman and her unborn child at the mercy of someone who doesn’t want the woman to carry her baby to term.”

Multiple news accounts have reported numerous women have been the victims of schemes to cause abortions. In these accounts, women have had abortion-inducing drugs slipped into food or drink that have caused the loss of their unborn child.

A March 2022 poll commissioned by the BBC in the UK found that 5% of women ages 18-24 and 4% of women ages 25-34 were given “something (tablets/substance) to cause an abortion” without their consent.

Drugs such as mifepristone have well-known, documented dangers. When the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved mifepristone as an abortion method, restrictions were put in place because women face potentially life-threatening complications that have been associated with the use of the drug. An FDA record of nearly two dozen deaths and thousands of complications, including “adverse events” such as serious infections, severe hemorrhage, and the rupture of previously undiscovered ectopic pregnancies, has proved that the restrictions are necessary to protect women.

Readily available abortion drugs place women at risk not only from a dangerous abortion method that they themselves may use but also from those who would seek to harm them and their unborn baby by forcing an abortion using the same drugs.

Despite these dangers, abortion advocates and their allies are pushing to make abortion-inducing drugs such as mifepristone and misoprostol as common as aspirin—and as profitable.

“Pro-abortion groups don’t care about women,” stated Tobias. “They care about the massive amounts of money they can make from them.”

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON — As the nation waits for the results in several key races across the country, one thing is clear: the Democratic Party is the party of unlimited abortion.

“Fearmongering was a key messaging tactic for Democrats in races across the country. Misinformation about pro-life protective legislation and falsehoods about the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs fueled pro-abortion campaigns,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Despite the scare tactics, pro-life candidates made numerous gains and it appears that the United States House of Representatives will have a majority of pro-life members.”

President Biden and pro-abortion Democrats in Congress have made unlimited abortion a priority. They have reversed protective pro-life policies, worked to pass sweeping pro-abortion legislation that would make unlimited abortion the law of the land, and promoted abortion through government programs and activities.

This push for unlimited abortion carried over into this election cycle with well-funded misinformation campaigns.

“Pro-abortion groups and their allies in Congress know they cannot win with the truth,” said Tobias. “We saw unprecedented attacks using fabrications and misrepresentations against pro-life candidates. Pro-abortion Democratic leaders and their allies know that when people learn the truth about abortion, they lose, so they had to hide behind deception and spin.”

Despite the propaganda, voters in many races voted for the pro-life candidate.

Further election analysis from National Right to Life will be forthcoming.

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON – “There are many issues facing Georgia voters but Raphael Warnock seems to only want to talk about one – his support for killing unborn babies by abortion,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life.

“Raphael Warnock would deny the most basic right to life to unborn babies,” said Tobias. “Raphael Warnock voted for a federal bill that would allow unlimited abortion, essentially until birth, and he voted to pay for it with American tax dollars.”

In contrast, Herschel Walker wants to help solve people’s problems and knows killing more and more unborn children is not the solution.

Herschel Walker supports measures to protect the lives of unborn children and their mothers and he opposes using tax dollars to pay for abortion.

Continued Tobias, “Georgia deserves a senator like Herschel Walker who is committed to building a culture of life. Walker’s stance for life stands in stark contrast to the extreme record of Warnock who supports abortion for any reason even late in pregnancy.”

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.