WASHINGTON — National Right to Life strongly criticized Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar (D) and Tina Smith (D) for voting against invoking cloture on the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act, blocking consideration of a commonsense bill that would have ensured pregnant and parenting students are informed of the rights, accommodations, and resources already available to them under federal law.

The U.S. Senate failed to advance the legislation after the cloture vote fell short 47–45, well below the 60 votes required to proceed. Sens. Klobuchar and Smith voted to not even allow consideration or debate concerning the life-affirming of legislation.

“It is deeply troubling that Minnesota’s senators voted to block a bill that simply ensures pregnant and parenting students know their rights,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “No student should ever feel forced to choose between continuing her education and carrying her child to term.”

The Pregnant Students’ Rights Act would have required colleges and universities to clearly and consistently communicate existing protections for pregnant and parenting students. The legislation did not create new regulations, penalties, or compliance burdens for schools.

The votes cast by Sens. Klobuchar and Smith are consistent with their long-standing records of support for unlimited abortion, including opposition to rational protections for unborn children and support for policies that allow abortion through all nine months of pregnancy while overriding state-level safeguards.

Tobias stated, “Rather than supporting a bill focused on transparency and awareness for pregnant students, both senators again sided with an abortion lobby that treats pregnancy as a problem to be eliminated rather than a life to be supported.”

By opposing cloture, Sens. Klobuchar and Smith voted to block a measure aimed solely at ensuring women are not pressured toward abortion because they believe motherhood is incompatible with academic success.

“Pregnancy should never be treated as a liability or an inconvenience,” Tobias continued. “Blocking this legislation sends a troubling message to pregnant students in Minnesota who deserve honesty, support, and respect—not silence or pressure.”

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON — National Right to Life expressed strong disappointment following Jon Ossoff’s (D-GA) vote against invoking cloture on the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act, a commonsense bill that would ensure pregnant and parenting students are informed of the rights, accommodations, and resources already available to them under federal law.

The U.S. Senate failed to advance the legislation after the cloture vote fell short 47–45, below the 60 votes required to proceed.  Sen. Ossoff voted to not even allow consideration or debate concerning the life-affirming of legislation.

Sen. Ossoff’s vote is consistent with his long record of support for unlimited abortion, including opposition to rational protections for unborn children and repeated support for legislation that would allow abortion through all nine months of pregnancy while overriding state-level safeguards. 

“Rather than backing a bill that simply informed pregnant students of existing rights and resources, Sen. Ossoff again sided with an abortion lobby that treats pregnancy as a problem to be eliminated rather than a life to be supported,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “No student should ever feel forced to choose between continuing her education and carrying her child to term.”

The Pregnant Students’ Rights Act would have required colleges and universities to clearly and consistently communicate existing protections for pregnant and parenting students. The legislation did not impose new regulations, penalties, or compliance burdens on schools.

By opposing cloture, Sen. Ossoff voted to block a measure that focused solely on transparency and awareness—helping ensure that women are not pressured toward abortion because they believe motherhood is incompatible with academic success.

“Pregnancy should never be treated as a liability or an inconvenience,” Tobias continued. “Blocking this legislation sends a troubling message to pregnant students in Georgia and across the country who deserve honesty, support, and respect—not silence or pressure.”

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON — National Right to Life today welcomed a series of significant pro-life actions taken by the Trump administration this week, culminating in powerful remarks delivered today by President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance to thousands of Americans gathered for the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C.

In a prerecorded message to marchers, President Trump thanked participants for standing up for the unborn and reflected on the historic pro-life victories achieved during his presidency, including the appointment of judges who ultimately led to the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that overturned Roe v. Wade. The president emphasized that building a culture of life requires action not only in government, but in communities and families across the country.

Vice President Vance, speaking live to the crowd, underscored the administration’s commitment to fostering a culture where life can thrive—one supported by policies that protect unborn children, strengthen families, and respect the consciences of Americans. He highlighted the administration’s efforts to reverse the coercive and aggressively pro-abortion policies of the previous administration and reaffirmed that the White House stands firmly with the pro-life movement.

“These remarks weren’t just symbolic,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “They were matched by concrete actions this week that demonstrate real leadership in protecting life, conscience rights, and taxpayers from being forced to subsidize abortion.” 

Among the most significant actions announced this week:

• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ended the use of human fetal tissue from elective abortions in all HHS-funded research, directing the department and the National Institutes of Health to rely instead on ethical, modern research alternatives.
• HHS and its Office for Civil Rights took steps to enforce federal conscience protections, including action to bring Illinois into compliance with laws prohibiting the coercion of health care providers to refer for abortion.
• Federal agencies moved to ensure Hyde Amendment compliance, including steps to prevent abortion funding within programs serving vulnerable populations.
• The administration announced a historic expansion of the Mexico City Policy, blocking U.S. taxpayer funding for international organizations that perform or promote abortion abroad.
• Federal action was taken to halt taxpayer funding of abortion-related travel and to initiate fraud investigations involving misuse of federal funds by abortion providers.

“For 50 years, the Hyde Amendment has affirmed a simple but profound principle: Americans should not be forced to fund abortion,” Tobias said. “This administration is showing that the federal government still has a vital role to play—enforcing conscience protections, safeguarding taxpayer dollars, and rejecting the idea that abortion should be treated as a public good.” 

National Right to Life noted that the administration’s actions, announced during the week of the March for Life and the 50th anniversary year of the Hyde Amendment, reflect a consistent commitment to policies that respect both women and their children.

“These steps move our nation closer to a culture that recognizes every child as a gift and every family as worthy of support,” Tobias added. “We look forward to continuing to work with the administration and Congress to defend life at every stage.”

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON — A newly released national poll conducted by the Marist Poll and commissioned by the Knights of Columbus confirms that a strong majority of Americans continue to support meaningful limits on abortion and overwhelmingly favor pregnancy resource centers that provide assistance to women and their children.

“These findings once again demonstrate that the American people are far more pro-life than the loudest voices in Washington or the media would have us believe,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “A clear majority of Americans support reasonable limits on abortion and strongly support pregnancy centers that offer women real help, not pressure.”

According to the 2026 Knights of Columbus–Marist Poll, 67 percent of Americans support placing legal limits on abortion and found broad consensus around policies that protect both women and unborn children, with 88 percent of respondents agreeing that laws can protect both the mother and her unborn child.

Support for pregnancy resource centers remains exceptionally strong. The poll shows that 84 percent of Americans support pregnancy centers, which provide practical help to women during pregnancy and after birth. Additionally, 63 percent of Americans believe healthcare professionals with religious objections to abortion should not be legally required to perform them.

“The Marist poll confirms what we see every day across the country,” Tobias added. “Americans want laws that respect life, protect women, and allow pregnancy centers to continue their vital work without discrimination or government interference. Policymakers should take note: supporting mothers and protecting unborn children is not a fringe position—it is the mainstream American view.”

The poll also underscores the stability of public opinion in the years following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Despite political rhetoric suggesting dramatic shifts, Americans continue to favor policies that limit abortion while recognizing the importance of compassion, support, and care for women facing difficult pregnancies.

The survey was conducted January 12–13, 2026, among 1,408 adults nationwide, with a margin of error of ±3.3 percentage points.

The poll results should encourage lawmakers at both the state and federal levels to advance policies that strengthen families, safeguard conscience rights, and ensure that pregnancy centers remain free to serve women and children in need.

The poll can be found here.

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON — National Right to Life today praised comprehensive enforcement and policy actions announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to protect health care provider conscience rights and affirm the dignity of human life, consistent with long-standing federal law and the Hyde Amendment.

Among the actions announced, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a Notice of Violation to the State of Illinois, finding that an Illinois law violates federal conscience protections by conditioning liability protections on abortion referral requirements. According to HHS, the state unlawfully forces health care providers with moral or religious objections to abortion to refer patients for abortion in order to receive protections under state law.

“OCR’s action sends a clear message that no state may coerce health care professionals into violating their conscience as the price of practicing medicine,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Federal law has long protected doctors, nurses, hospitals, and medical institutions from being forced to participate in abortion. HHS is right to enforce those protections and hold states accountable when they ignore them.”

The action enforces the Weldon Amendment and the Coats-Snowe Amendment, which prohibit government discrimination against health care entities that refuse to perform, refer for, arrange, pay for, or provide coverage of abortion.

In addition to the Illinois enforcement action, OCR announced significant deregulatory measures, rescinding or formally repudiating eight prior guidance documents issued under the previous administration that were outdated, inconsistent with federal law, or improperly expanded abortion-related mandates under the guise of conscience enforcement.

“These deregulatory steps correct years of legal overreach that distorted conscience laws and treated abortion as an entitlement rather than a grave moral issue,” Tobias said. “By restoring the law to its proper meaning, HHS is protecting both conscience rights and respect for human life.”

To further clarify federal protections, OCR also issued a nationwide Dear Colleague Letter summarizing all federal health care conscience statutes, including those related to abortion and assisted suicide. The letter is intended to serve as a comprehensive educational resource for states, health care providers, and institutions regarding their rights and obligations under federal law.

“Respect for conscience and respect for life are inseparable,” Tobias added. “We commend HHS for enforcing the law as written and for standing up for the rights of health care professionals who should never be forced to choose between their careers and their moral convictions.”

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 6945, the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act, by a vote of 215–209, advancing legislation that affirms states’ authority to support pregnancy centers that provide critical assistance to women, children, and families.

“Today’s vote is a clear affirmation that states—not federal bureaucrats—should be able to support organizations that provide real help to women and families,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Pregnancy centers offer practical, compassionate assistance to women facing unexpected pregnancies, and they should not be targeted or excluded simply because they are committed to protecting both mother and child.” 

The bill clarifies that states may use Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds to support pregnancy centers and prevents federal agencies from blocking that support through regulation or reinterpretation of the law.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), co-chair of the House Pro-Life Caucus.

During House consideration, several Members spoke in support of the bill, including Reps. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN) and Chris Smith (R-NJ), co-chairs of the Pro-Life Caucus; Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO); and Reps. Sheri Biggs (R-SC), Vince Fong (R-CA), Rudy Yakym (R-IN), Mike Bost (R-IL), and Jeff Crank (R-CO).

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) was the only Democrat to vote in favor of the legislation.

Pregnancy centers nationwide provide a wide range of services, including pregnancy testing, prenatal and parenting education, peer-to-peer counseling, and material assistance such as diapers, baby clothes, and other essentials.

“With passage of H.R. 6945, the House has taken an important step to ensure that women are not denied access to meaningful support and life-affirming alternatives,” Tobias added. “We urge the Senate to act swiftly and send this commonsense legislation to the president’s desk.”

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON — Congress took a key step to protect pregnancy help organizations from ideological attacks, advancing legislation that affirms states’ authority to support pregnancy centers that provide critical assistance to women and families.

The legislation was introduced on January 6, 2026, by Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), with Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Claudia Tenney (R-NY).

“We applaud and thank Representatives Michelle Fischbach, Chris Smith and Claudia Tenney for standing up for women, strengthening families, and recognizing the vital work of pregnancy centers,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life.

On January 14, the House Ways and Means Committee advanced H.R. 6945, the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act. The bill clarifies that states may use Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds to support pregnancy centers and prevents federal agencies from blocking that support through regulation or reinterpretation of the law. Every Republican on the Ways and Means Committee voted to advance the bill, while every Democrat voted against it.

“National Right to Life strongly supports the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act. Pregnancy centers often face discrimination simply because they are committed to protecting unborn life,” said Tobias. “The Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act makes clear that states may support pregnancy centers without fear of federal interference, ensuring that women are not denied access to real help and meaningful alternatives.

H.R. 6945 amends Part A of Title IV of the Social Security Act to make explicit that nothing in federal law may be used to prohibit states from directing TANF funds to pregnancy centers. The bill also clearly defines pregnancy centers as organizations that protect the lives of both mother and unborn child while providing services such as pregnancy testing, prenatal and parenting education, relationship counseling, and material assistance including diapers, baby clothes, and other essentials.

House leadership is expected to bring H.R. 6945 to the floor this week. If passed, the bill will move to the Senate for consideration.

National Right to Life’s scorecard letter to representatives can be found here.

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON — National Right to Life (NRLC) announced the introduction of the APPLE Act — the Abortion Pill Provider Liability and Education Act — a new model law designed to protect women by ensuring honesty, transparency, and accountability in the use of abortion pills.

The APPLE Act responds to mounting evidence that women are not being fully informed about the risks of chemical abortions and are too often left without recourse when serious complications occur. The law empowers women and their families to hold abortion pill manufacturers, prescribers, and providers accountable for injuries, complications, trauma, or death — while preserving women’s privacy and dignity.

“The APPLE Act is about truth and accountability,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Women deserve full and honest information before taking abortion pills, and they deserve legal protection when something goes wrong.” 

Tobias continued, “If abortion pills are as safe as their promoters claim, then transparency and accountability should not be controversial.”

Recent data and firsthand accounts underscore the need for reform. According to the most recent FDA reporting, at least 36 women in the United States have died after taking mifepristone, with additional deaths reported internationally. Large-scale insurance and international studies have found that between nearly 5% and more than 10% of women who take abortion pills end up seeking emergency medical care, often for hemorrhage, infection, incomplete abortion, or other serious complications. Women’s own accounts describe prolonged bleeding, severe pain, psychological trauma, and emergency hospitalization.

The APPLE Act focuses on common sense protections rooted in long-standing principles of informed consent and patient safety. Among its key provisions, the APPLE Act:

• Requires abortion pill providers to give women clear, written information about known risks and potential complications, including excessive bleeding, infection, and incomplete abortion.
• Ensures women are told they may seek emergency medical care without fear of penalty for disclosing abortion pill use.
• Mandates the reporting of abortion pill complications to state agencies to create an accurate public record.
• Implements a public awareness campaign informing the public about a woman’s right to know about the risks associated with chemical abortion and the right to sue.
• Allows women or their families to pursue civil action when abortion pill providers or manufacturers cause harm or fail to obtain proper informed consent.
• Protects the anonymity of women who bring legal action.

For years, abortion pill advocates have dismissed women’s injuries and trauma as “rare” or “minor,” while opposing meaningful reporting requirements and legal accountability. The APPLE Act challenges that contradiction directly.

“The APPLE Act protects women’s right to know the truth and hold abortion-pill providers accountable,” Tobias said. “Women deserve the truth — and they deserve legal protection when abortion providers fail them.”

National Right to Life encourages state lawmakers to introduce and advance the APPLE Act as a woman-centered response to the growing harms associated with chemical abortions. NRLC will be working with state affiliates and legislators nationwide to promote the model law and educate the public about its protections.

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON — A U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing yesterday under the leadership of Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) exposed how the Biden administration’s expansion of mail-order chemical abortion drugs is endangering women and undermining state laws designed to protect life.

“Yesterday’s hearing confirmed what we are seeing across the country: abortion drugs are being pushed on women with no meaningful medical oversight, no accountability, and no regard for state law,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Mail-order abortion is not health care. It is a reckless experiment that puts women at risk and leaves families to deal with the consequences.”

Tobias continued, “National Right to Life commends Senator Cassidy and the HELP Committee for bringing national attention to the dangers of chemical abortions.”

The hearing, titled “Protecting Women: Exposing the Dangers of Chemical Abortion Drugs,” featured testimony from Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill and obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Monique Chireau Wubbenhorst, who detailed how federal policies have enabled widespread distribution of abortion pills—often into states with strong life-protective laws—despite clear prohibitions.

Testimony presented to the committee documented cases involving severe complications, lack of medical supervision, coercion, and deaths associated with abortion drugs. Witnesses explained how the removal of in-person dispensing requirements for mifepristone has made enforcement of state law increasingly difficult while empowering out-of-state abortion providers operating behind so-called shield laws.

“Women deserve better than pills shipped through the mail with no physician oversight and no accountability when something goes wrong,” Tobias said. “We urge Congress to restore commonsense safeguards that protect women’s health and respect the authority of states to defend both mothers and their unborn children.”

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia.