WASHINGTON – Lawsuits filed in North Carolina and West Virginia seek to place the authority of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over any state laws impacting the use of chemical abortion drugs.

Earlier this month, the FDA formalized a decision made in 2021 to permanently drop the in-person requirement for the distribution of the abortion pill and updated labeling for mifepristone (generic for Mifeprex) that would allow pharmacies (both online and brick and mortar) to dispense the drug.

“While the FDA has the authority to permit the use of drugs and medicines, this authority does not prohibit states from regulating or prohibiting them also,” stated James Bopp, Jr, general counsel of National Right to Life. “This is another example of the Biden administration unlawfully trying to seize federal power and usurping legislative authority to advance their radical pro-abortion agenda.”

Mifepristone is used in combination with misoprostol to cause an abortion. Mifepristone blocks progesterone, causing the death of the unborn baby, while the second drug, misoprostol, causes powerful, painful uterine contractions to expel the dead baby.

“In a chemical abortion, the perfectly healthy mother of a perfectly healthy baby ingests a drug that takes the life of the unborn child and has the potential to endanger the life of the mother,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Contrary to the abortion industry’s latest talking points, abortion is not ‘health care.’ Whether the abortion is surgical or chemical, the abortionist’s intention is the deliberate destruction of a living unborn baby.”

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.

Pro-life Leaders Offer a Sharp Contrast to the White House and Vice President Kamala Harris

WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, January 24, pro-life legislators in both the House and Senate spoke out on behalf of the right to life.

These speeches followed, by just a few days, the speech of Vice President Kamala Harris in Florida where she notably quoted the Declaration of Independence but left out the first right—the right to life.

“It’s not surprising that Kamala Harris left out the right to life when she quoted the Declaration of Independence,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “The Biden-Harris Administration has worked lockstep with the abortion industry to push, promote, and expand abortion in almost every way possible.”

Tobias continued, “In contrast, Tuesday’s speeches by some of the pro-life champions in the House and Senate mourned the loss of life through abortion and celebrated the efforts of the pro-life movement in protecting women and their unborn children. We praise pro-life members of the House and Senate for their commitment to Life.” 

The following are highlights from Tuesday’s speeches:

Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.)—

The issue of abortion gets to the heart about what it means to be human. Who counts as one of us? Why can brutally killing a baby before birth be justified simply because the baby is inconvenient, imperfect, unwanted, unplanned, or dependent on her mother? Rather than answer these questions about the humanity of the child in the womb—the child sucking her thumb, the child whose heart is beating, and the child whose sonogram pictures are cherished as proof of life—the abortion industry wants you to look away from the baby.

Senator John Thune (R-S.D.)—

I have been very outspoken on this floor about my frustration with the Biden administration. I have not held back on this because they are the most pro-abortion Presidency in American history. They actively work on increasing the number of abortions in America, and I find that not only appalling, I find that painful, that we as a nation have a policy of finding ways to increase the death of children. That is not who we should be as a nation. We should be working to be able to protect the life of every single child.

Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.)—

We always have and always will support the treatment of women suffering from the always-life-threatening condition of an ectopic pregnancy. The radical activists, who wildly claim ectopic pregnancies will be left untreated because of this Court decision, are simply misinformed and dangerously practice fearmongering tactics. For a physician to not treat ectopic pregnancies would be, No. 1, unethical, as well as, No. 2, below the standard of care for every community in America.

Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)—

While it is good for us to celebrate the Dobbs decision, as Senators, we must remember that the fight for life in the United States is far from finished. Our work to enact pro-life policies must continue if we are to be a voice for the voiceless.

Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-Minn.)—

Over the last five decades, more than 60 million unborn lives have been taken and a tragic, irreversible mark has been left on countless mothers, fathers, and families. While there is still so much work to be done, I stand here hopeful. The prolife community is stronger than ever. With last year’s Dobbs v. Jackson decision, this country is beginning to move in the right direction to defend the defenseless and support life. We are changing hearts and minds.

Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas)—

Today, we continue to recognize the dignity of every individual and fight for the most fundamental right of all: the right to life. Our instincts were always right. Science has revealed it is not just a clump of cells in the womb. At 15 weeks, babies suck their thumbs, kick, jump, have fully developed hearts, and can feel pain. What looks like a baby in the womb, revealed to us through ultrasound technology, is in fact a baby when they are born.

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.)—

Although giving the power on how to handle the issues of abortion back to the States through the favorable Dobbs ruling is a big win, it does not mean the work of the pro-life movement is done. Action at the State and local level will only grow in importance in the coming years. I will continue to be a voice for the voiceless.

Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah)—

All Americans want women and their babies to be safe, loved, and empowered, no matter their situation or socioeconomic status. I believe Americans are capable of seizing this moment and coming together to support those facing tremendous challenges and uncertainty.

Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.)—

Thankfully, the victorious Dobbs ruling overturned Roe v. Wade last year, rightfully returning the issue of abortion back to the States. However, while we champion this momentous win in the fight for the unborn, we cannot forget the millions of lives lost to the evils of abortion.

Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.)—

I rise to remember the lives lost due to the Roe v. Wade decision. There are an estimated 64 million American souls who are missing as a result. We gather today on this 50th anniversary, solemnly, but hopefully. As Members of Congress, we are tasked with representing our constituents, even the unborn ones. I will always speak out and fight to protect the sanctity of these lives.

Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas)—

Tragically, Mr. Speaker, my Democratic colleagues would rather spread lies about the Supreme Court decision than to tell the truth…They may refuse the truth because it doesn’t further their anti-life agenda, but they can’t change it. The truth is that the reversal of Roe v. Wade returned the power to where it belongs, and that is to States.

Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.)—

On June 24, 2022, the United States of America declared to the world that, once again, our Nation will embrace the intrinsic worth and value of every human life. This is a reminder, however, that our work is not yet done. We will continue to work and convince hearts and minds that the culture of life is worth preserving. May all those who work to promote the cause of life forever know that their cause is true, their cause is beautiful, and their cause is good.

Rep. John Rutherford (R-Fla.)—

Our Founding Fathers enshrined in the Declaration of Independence the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I thought it very telling that our Vice President was speaking on this very issue just the other day, and she only mentioned two of those unalienable rights—only two of them. She left out life. I think she left out life because that is where we are at now. We talk about a culture of death, and we don’t talk about life. Our Nation cannot sit idly by as 1 million unborn children have this life taken from them every year—every year. This is advancing the normalizing of this culture of death.

Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.)—

I am heartened by the Supreme Court’s reversal of this decision in Dobbs v. Jackson last year and the countless lives that will now be saved each year. For me and my family, the sanctity of life is deeply personal. Nearly 20 years ago, my wife, Jodi, and I became parents of a baby born with Down syndrome. Whenever I look at my son, Isaac, I see a miracle of God’s special gift to our family.

Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.)—

Nearly 1 million unborn children are expected to die in 2023 from abortion in the United States of America where protecting life is our highest calling, where we are the first responder anywhere in the world anytime there is an attack on life, anytime there is a tragedy, and anytime there is a need for somebody to come there to try and save lives, and yet, in 2023, 1 million of the unborn will be aborted. It is incredible to me that in a nation that has been blessed for so long with so much can turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the cries of the unborn. My question is: Where is the outrage of my fellow Americans?

Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.)—

We cannot forget the devastating impact that Roe v. Wade caused on families and the unborn. That devastation would have continued if Dobbs v. Jackson—a case that proudly originated in my home State of Mississippi—had not come before the Supreme Court and opened the pathway to allow States to protect life.

Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.)—

Although the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, we cannot forget the lives that were lost during those almost 50 devastating years. The lives lost during the Roe era must serve as a reminder of why we continue to fight for life. I have said before, and I will continue to say, that I am pro-life, I am profamily, and I am pro-child.

Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.)—

Mr. Speaker, as has been mentioned, prior to 1973, there would be what I would consider a consensus in this country that it would be horrific to prematurely kill a child in the womb. At the time, as a practical matter, there were only two or three States in which abortion was legal, and there were times in this country before then in which every State considered abortion illegal.

Rep. Thompson (R-Pa.)—

Mr. Speaker, my position on life has always been clear. You can’t be a champion for the future of this great country if you are going to limit its potential. It is my strong belief that every child, every human life, is sacred and has a purpose in this world.

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.

Measure Has Saved Over 2.5 Million American Lives

Since First Adopted in 1976

WASHINGTON – In response to the introduction of a bill by House Democrats to get rid of the longstanding Hyde Amendment, the following can be attributed to Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, the nation’s largest and oldest pro-life group:

Pro-abortion Democrats have targeted the Hyde Amendment as part of their scorched-earth campaign to remove any and all limitations on abortion and require taxpayer funding of abortion. Eliminating the Hyde Amendment would destroy over 40 years of unprecedented bipartisan support for a measure aimed at saving human lives.

The Hyde Amendment has proven to be the greatest domestic abortion-reduction measure ever enacted by Congress. The Hyde Amendment is widely recognized as having saved over 2.5 million American lives since it was first adopted in 1976.

Poll after poll has shown that the vast majority of Americans do not want their tax dollars used to pay for abortions.

The impact of the life-affirming Hyde Amendment cannot be overstated.

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 National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) today released The State of Abortion in the United States, 2023. The tenth annual edition, which comes just seven months after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade, summarizes key legislative developments on the state and federal level since Dobbs, and analyzes the data on the annual number of abortions in the United States.

This year’s report also takes a detailed look at attacks by the Biden Administration on the Hyde Amendment, which has prevented federal funding of elective abortion in Medicaid since 1976. In addition, it contains an in-depth look at accelerating efforts to resurrect, by extra-constitutional means, the long-expired Equal Rights Amendment, and explains the sweeping impact that the ERA could have on abortion law (an impact once denied but now proclaimed by prominent pro-abortion advocates).

“Since the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs, we have seen the state of abortion in the United States shift dramatically as many states moved to enact laws that would protect unborn children and their mothers from the tragedy of abortion,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Pro-life education and legislative efforts are making an impact on our culture and in the lives of women facing unexpected pregnancies. But there is still much to be done.”

Key highlights from the report include:

• While the trends in abortion data through 2020 released by both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Guttmacher Institute differ (with the CDC showing a slight decline and Guttmacher showing a slight increase), both agree on one thing: a large majority of abortions are now done using chemical abortion – a method that puts women at increased risk. This comes as the Biden Administration works to remove safety precautions and other regulations designed to protect women from the potentially deadly consequences of self-managed abortion.
• Based on data from the CDC and the Guttmacher Institute, National Right to Life now estimates that 64,443,118 abortions have been performed in the United States since 1973.
• In the months following Dobbs, several states have moved to enact laws designed to provide maximum protections from abortion to unborn children and their mothers. However, according the National Right to Life Department of State Legislation, as examined in the report, 23 states have guaranteed a right to abortion by court decision, constitutional amendment or state legislative statute.

The report is available from the National Right to Life Communications Department here: http://www.nrlc.org/uploads/communications/stateofabortion2023.pdf

National Right to Life experts, including President Carol Tobias; Director of Education and Research Randall K. O’Bannon, Ph.D.; Legislative Director Jennifer Popik, J.D.; and (on the Equal Rights Amendment) Senior Policy Advisor Douglas D. Johnson, are available to provide further information about the report and its insights. To arrange an interview, call the NRLC Communications Department at (202) 626-8825 or email mediarelations@nrlc.org.

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.

U.S. Supreme Court Dobbs Decision Overturning Roe v. Wade Will Provide More Opportunities to Protect Women and Their Unborn Babies

WASHINGTON – In response to the tragic January 22, 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion on demand, millions of pro-life Americans immediately began working to protect innocent human lives through education and legislation.

On June 24, 2022, these efforts led to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization which overturned Roe v. Wade giving the pro-life movement greater opportunities to protect women and their unborn babies.

“For decades, National Right to Life and its state affiliates have led efforts to pass life-affirming laws at the state level to protect unborn children and their mothers and these efforts led to the reversal of Roe v. Wade,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life.

National Right to Life, the nation’s largest and oldest pro-life group, has successfully led the way over the last 50 years in seeing pro-life, protective legislation passed on both the state and federal levels. National Right to Life is the only national pro-life group with affiliates in all fifty states and over 3,000 local chapters nationwide.

“National Right to Life will continue to lead the way through model state laws, federal legislation, and educational efforts,” said Tobias.

Tobias continued, “As tens of thousands march today to remember Roe and the loss of life since 1973, we praise the work of pro-life people who give of their time, energy, and finances to help women facing an unexpected pregnancy. Those efforts have saved millions of lives and, post-Dobbs, will save millions more.”

For the most recent figures on abortion, download National Right to Life’s latest factsheet 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.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) praised the passage of The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (H.R. 26) sponsored by Rep. Ann Wagner.

The bill passed in a vote of 220 to 210.

Democrats attempted to hijack this common-sense vote to push their agenda of abortion without limit until birth. Rep Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) offered the motion to recommit following debate over The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. The motion to recommit would have amended The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act to include the radical “Women’s Health Protection Act.” The motion failed by a vote of 212-219. The so-called Women’s Health Protection Act would nullify all state and federal laws designed to protect unborn children and their mothers.

“The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act is reasonable legislation that would protect a baby born alive following an abortion,” said Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee. “We thank House pro-life leaders Speaker McCarthy, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and Rep. Kat Cammack for their leadership on this issue and Rep. Ann Wagner for sponsoring this bill.”

In the wake of the Dobbs v. Jackson decision, several states are moving not only to fully legalize abortion up to the moment of birth but also going to great lengths to insulate abortion providers from even the most basic scrutiny. Against this backdrop, there is renewed urgency to pass The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.

The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act requires that, when a baby is born alive following an abortion, health care practitioners must exercise the same degree of professional skill and care that would be offered to any other child born alive at the same gestational age. It also requires that, following appropriate care, health care workers must transport the living child immediately to a hospital.

Current federal law does not sufficiently protect a child born following an abortion.

In addition, the bill applies the existing penalties of 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1111 (the federal murder statute) to anyone who performs “an overt act that kills a child born alive.” Further, the bill provides a civil cause of action to women who are harmed by violations of the act.

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 election as Speaker of the House of Representatives. Speaker McCarthy’s leadership in the House as Minority Leader showed his commitment to the right to life and he has made it clear that advancing the right to life and protecting women and their unborn children will be a priority in the 118th Congress.

Speaker McCarthy will stand up to President Biden and the pro-abortion Democrats who have reversed protective pro-life policies and have worked to make unlimited abortion the law of the land.

We look forward to working with the House leadership team led by Speaker McCarthy.

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.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – On Thursday, January 5th, the South Carolina Supreme Court, in a 3-2 decision, overturned South Carolina’s Fetal Heartbeat and Protection Act.

“We are beyond disappointed in the South Carolina Supreme Court’s decision,” said Lisa Van Riper, president of South Carolina Citizens for Life. “The court ruled in favor of the economic interests of the abortion industry whose primary source of income is killing unborn children.”

Van Riper continued, “We disagree with the majority opinion that the right to privacy was intended to relate to abortion.”

The state’s Right to Privacy Amendment was passed in 1970, three years before the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Today’s decision will have a detrimental impact on women of color and their unborn children. A disproportionate number of Black children die from abortion in South Carolina. According to the State Department of Health and Environmental Control, Black South Carolinians make up 28 percent of the state’s population, yet nearly 45 percent of all abortions occurring in the state are performed on Black babies.

Since 1990, South Carolina Citizens for Life has successfully lobbied for the Parental Consent Act as well as 15 other protective laws which the court has upheld.

Abortions have declined by more than 50 percent in the state as a result.

“We will continue to advocate for other protective laws such as a woman’s right to hear her baby’s heartbeat before an abortion and to have access to information about reversing the so-called abortion pill which is used now in 70 percent of abortions in South Carolina,” said Van Riper.

Representative John McCravy, R-Greenwood, and chairman of the S.C. House Family Caucus said, “The U.S. Supreme Court, through their Dobbs decision this summer, handed the issue of abortion to state legislatures. Unfortunately, the South Carolina Supreme Court followed the path of the U.S. Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade by creating a constitutional right to an abortion where none exists. Today’s decision fails to respect the concept of separation of powers and strips the people of this state from having a say in a decision that was meant to reflect their voices. Instead, South Carolina is left with a decision that is not reflective of our state’s political process or will.”

“The U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision gives states the ability to listen to the people and pass laws that protect unborn children,” stated Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “South Carolina’s Supreme Court decision is an insult to the citizens of South Carolina who voted for pro-life legislators to pass pro-life laws.”

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, D.C.— On Tuesday, January 3rd, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated labeling for mifepristone (generic for Mifeprex) that would allow pharmacies (both online and brick and mortar) to dispense the drug.

In issuing the new regulations, the FDA formalized a decision made in 2021 to permanently drop the in-person requirement for the distribution of the abortion pill.

“The abortion industry wants to put at risk perfectly healthy mothers who are pregnant with perfectly healthy babies,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “None of these changes make this process safer for the woman. What these changes do is make the process easier and cheaper for the abortion industry.”

The revised Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for Mifeprex would require that the drug only be dispensed by pharmacies that have completed certification and only those pharmacies, once certified, could dispense the drug prescribed by certified prescribers who have pledged to follow FDA guidelines regarding the screening and counseling of patients to ensure they know the risks and dangers.

Mifepristone is used in combination with misoprostol to cause an abortion. Mifepristone blocks progesterone, causing the death of the unborn baby, while the second drug, misoprostol, causes powerful, painful uterine contractions to expel the dead baby.

“The FDA has recorded more than two dozen deaths and thousands of complications associated with use of these mifepristone and misoprostol. These ‘adverse events’ include serious infections, severe hemorrhage, and the rupture of previously undiscovered ectopic pregnancies,” said Randall K. O’Bannon, Ph.D., director of education and research for National Right to Life.

The all too real possibility of a woman experiencing any of these adverse events means that a considerable number of these patients may have to visit the emergency room because of hemorrhaging, an incomplete abortion, or a ruptured ectopic pregnancy.

‘Telemedicine abortions’ expose the worst and most dangerous features of chemical abortions. Besides potentially making a woman go through a horrific procedure all alone, she may see her dead child, and she may be unsure of whether her pain and cramping and bleeding are normal or whether she is bleeding to death.

Tobias continued, “Terrified and in pain, a woman may seek help at the emergency room but help there may be hindered. Some abortion supporters have recommended that women conceal from emergency room personnel their use of mifepristone and misoprostol, placing a woman further in danger.”

“I’m not sure retail pharmacies will consider this a sound business risk to be selling dangerous abortion pills that can put women in the hospital,” said Scott Fischbach, National Right to Life’s new executive director. “I don’t believe their customers will be happy to find out that their local drugstore where they get their life-saving medicines is now stocking and distributing pills for the purpose of killing unborn children in their community.”

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.