WASHINGTON, D.C.— Late yesterday, the U.S. District Court Judge Robert C. Chambers issued a decision GenBioPro, Inc. v. Sorsaia. In the lawsuit, GenBioPro, a chemical abortion drug manufacturer, challenged West Virginia’s Unborn Child Protection Act claiming that it should be found unconstitutional on the basis that Congress gave the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority over state laws regarding access to mifepristone, one of two drugs used in a chemical abortion.

Judge Chambers rejected the claim, writing:

There is no disputing that health, medicine, and medical licensure are traditional areas of state authority. Furthermore, the Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the FDCA [Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act] does not preempt state action in the field of healthcare or medicine, absent a direct conflict.

Yesterday’s decision follows the August 16 decision by a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which determined that when the FDA loosened regulations in 2016 and 2021 regarding the drug mifepristone, it did so unlawfully, failing to give adequate consideration to demonstrated safety issues with the drug.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decision will not impact the distribution of the abortion drug Mifeprex (generic: mifepristone) until the U.S. Supreme Court weighs in.

“Yesterday’s District Court decision in West Virginia respects the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs and affirms a state’s right to protect life,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life.

“The plaintiff’s argument that the FDA’s authority extends so broadly as to circumvent state law is an overreach,” stated James Bopp, Jr., general counsel for National Right to Life. “The District Court rightly affirmed that a state’s rights cannot be upended by a capricious interpretation of the law.”

In yesterday’s decision, Judge Chambers left open the challenge by GenBioPro regarding telehealth abortions.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, the research organization affiliated with the abortion industry, approximately 54% of all abortions are done using chemical abortion methods like mifepristone and misoprostol.

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

The FDA recently weakened the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) requirements for the drug to allow it to be dispensed and even mailed by pharmacies.

Myths regarding mifepristone are addressed in a white paper National Right to Life released on April 5. Addressing Many of the Myths the Media is Repeating about the FDA’s Approval and Management of Mifeprex (Mifepristone) can be accessed here.

The decision by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District Of West Virginia can be accessed 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.

In Contrast with the Biden/Harris Administration Which Promotes Unlimited Abortion

WASHINGTON – During tonight’s debate, several of the presidential candidates for the Republican Party spoke about the right to life.

“Tonight’s candidates showed that the right to life is at the heart of the Republican Party,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “This is in direct contrast to the Biden/Harris Administration and the pro-abortion Democrats in Congress who want unlimited abortion.”

President Joe Biden, Vice President Harris, and their administration have aggressively promoted abortion without limits. Since entering office, President Biden has become the most pro-abortion president in history, using a whole-of-government approach promoting unlimited abortion.

“The Biden/Harris Administration and the Democratic Party have yet to hear of an abortion they wouldn’t support,” said Tobias. “Tragically, women and their unborn babies are the ones to suffer.”

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 – Today, the South Carolina Supreme Court upheld South Carolina’s 2023 Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act in a 4-1 ruling.

South Carolina Supreme Court Justice John Kittredge, writing for the majority, concluded:

…the legislature has found that the State has a compelling interest in protecting the lives of unborn children. That finding is indisputable and one we must respect. The legislature has further determined, after vigorous debate and compromise, that its interest in protecting the unborn becomes actionable upon the detection of a fetal heartbeat via ultrasound by qualified medical personnel.

“South Carolina’s new law will save hundreds of lives each month,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “We thank the South Carolina legislature and Governor Henry McMaster for their dedication to protecting the right to life. We also praise our South Carolina affiliate, South Carolina Citizens for Life, for their hard work and diligence in seeing the bill pass and become law.”

Governor McMaster signed the law on May 25, 2023, two days after the South Carolina Senate approved the Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act in a vote of 27-19. Less than two weeks before, the South Carolina House passed the law by a vote of 82-33.

Lisa Van Riper, president of South Carolina Citizens for Life, stated at the time, “This act not only protects unborn children with a detectable heartbeat from abortion on demand, but also signals that the child in the womb is a welcome member of our society.”

According to the South Carolina State Department of Health and Environmental Control, there are approximately 1,000 abortions per month—largely due to out-of-state abortion traffic. Enactment of the Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act is expected to reduce the number of abortions occurring in South Carolina to 200-250 per month.

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.

Stay on Lower Court Ruling Remains While Litigation Continues

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), determined that when the FDA loosened regulations in 2016 and 2021 regarding the drug mifepristone, it did so unlawfully, failing to give adequate consideration to demonstrated safety issues with the drug.

Today’s decision will not impact the distribution of the abortion drug Mifeprex (generic: mifepristone) until the U.S. Supreme Court weighs in.

“The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that the FDA’s actions loosening the regulations involving Mifeprex were unlawful,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Our hope is that today’s decision will be affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court.”

“Today’s ruling, though not in effect because of the prior stay by the Supreme Court, would also reinstate long-standing safety protocols for women which were removed during COVID and made permanent because of pro-abortion pressure on the FDA,” said Tobias.

In today’s decision, the court noted:

We affirm the portions of the stay order regarding the 2016 Amendments and the 2021 Non-Enforcement Decision. In loosening mifepristone’s safety restrictions, FDA failed to address several important concerns about whether the drug would be safe for the women who use it. It failed to consider the cumulative effect of removing several important safeguards at the same time. It failed to consider whether those “major” and “interrelated” changes might alter the risk profile, such that the agency should continue to mandate reporting of non-fatal adverse events. And it failed to gather evidence that affirmatively showed that mifepristone could be used safely without being prescribed and dispensed in person.

On April 21^st, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an order that stayed the district court’s order and returned the issue to the Fifth Circuit.

Justice Alito dissented from the Court’s order, writing about the original ruling of the three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit: “It would simply restore the circumstances that existed (and that the Government defended) from 2000 to 2016 under three Presidential administrations.”

The circumstances that existed from 2000 to 2016 were a series of protections meant to reduce the many dangers of chemical abortions.

In the lawsuit, Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the plaintiffs argued that the FDA unlawfully fast-tracked the approval of mifepristone through a process intended for the treatment of life-threatening illnesses.

On April 13, a different three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit removed the 2016, 2021, and 2023 changes the FDA had made to the original safeguards it had applied to mifepristone. That three-judge panel left in place the original requirement that it be used only up to 7 weeks of pregnancy, the requirement of three physician visits, removed the ability for the drug to be mailed or dispensed by pharmacies, prevented non-physicians from prescribing the drug and reinstated the reporting requirements for non-fatal adverse events.

The Fifth Circuit action followed a decision by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in the Northern District of Texas who issued a national injunction on the use of mifepristone in chemical abortions.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, the research organization affiliated with the abortion industry, approximately 54% of all abortions are done using chemical abortion methods like mifepristone and misoprostol.

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

The FDA recently weakened the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) requirements for the drug to allow it to be dispensed and even mailed by pharmacies.

“When hundreds of thousands of women take these pills, even a couple of percentage points of women hemorrhaging, dealing with infections, or ectopic pregnancy, represents thousands of women desperately seeking treatment, which may or may not be nearby,” said Dr. Randall K. O’Bannon, Ph.D., director of Education and Research for National Right to Life.

One of the common myths about the drug is that it is “safer than Tylenol” (or a similar argument is that it is safer than Advil/Ibuprofen). Dr. O’Bannon recently addressed this:

What you have here is a not-so-clever statistical sleight of hand, where advocates try to get you to compare the number of deaths from a relatively lightly used product with one that is used billions of times by people every year.

We are told that about 150 Americans die from Tylenol use every year, usually by overdose or simply taking too much over an extended period of time. At the same time, the FDA tells us that there have been 28 deaths that we know of among American mifepristone patients since the drug was approved in 2000.

So, 28 deaths from mifepristone in twenty years against 150 deaths from Tylenol in just a single year’s time? Sounds like mifepristone is safer.

But wait. That’s 150 Tylenol deaths against a backdrop of 25 billion doses of Tylenol in a year. We’re told that there have been only 5.6 million total chemical abortions with mifepristone in the U.S. since that 2000 approval, less than a thousandth of the sales of Tylenol in a single year.

Note what this does to your risk factor.

Using the minimal figures provided by the FDA, your risk of dying from taking mifepristone is about 1 in 200,000. Not large, but not negligible. And remember that your risk of a complication putting you in the emergency room is closer to one in 10.

But your risk of death from Tylenol is actually something like one chance in 166.7 million, even including those who overdose and fail to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

This means that your risk of dying from mifepristone is about 833 times your risk of dying from Tylenol.

Additional myths are addressed in a white paper National Right to Life released on April 5. Addressing Many of the Myths the Media is Repeating about the FDA’s Approval and Management of Mifeprex (Mifepristone) can be accessed here.

The decision by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals can be accessed 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 – National Right to Life and Mississippi Right to Life hailed tonight’s primary election victory of Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann.

During the primary campaign, Lt. Governor Hosemann was wrongly attacked by his opponents as being a supporter of abortion.

“The voters of Mississippi have spoken and have shown that they respect the long-standing pro-life record of Lt. Governor Hosemann,” said National Right to Life Executive Director Scott Fischbach. “Mississippi Right to Life and National Right to Life are pleased that pro-life Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann will be on the ballot this fall. Delbert Hosemann has served well and deserves to be re-elected in November.”

Lt. Governor Hosemann was endorsed by Mississippi Right to Life and National Right to Life in the primary election and also for the general election to be held on Nov. 7, 2023.

“For nearly 30 years, we have worked with Delbert Hosemann to do everything possible to protect the babies and their mothers in Mississippi,” continued Fischbach. “Delbert is a true pro-life champion.”

Delbert Hosemann has always supported protections for unborn children and their mothers, and he opposes using Mississippi tax dollars to pay for abortions.

Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson, Lt. Governor Hosemann appointed a study group to hold hearings, hear testimony, and draft legislation related to issues facing women, children, and families in Mississippi, including adoption, foster care, child support, and maternal and child healthcare. In December, the group unveiled a series of proposals, much of which has since been signed into law.

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 – A vote to raise the threshold to change the Ohio state constitution from a simple majority vote to a vote of 60% failed to pass.

“Changing the Ohio constitution should require a higher vote threshold than a simple majority,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Sadly, voters rejected raising the threshold and opened the door to outside interest groups coming into Ohio and promoting their dubious values.”

Groups in support of Issue 1 were outspent nearly 3 to 1 and largely by interest groups outside of the state of Ohio. Of the top 30 donors and donor organizations opposed to Issue 1, all but four were from outside the state of Ohio. The greatest funding came from organizations and donors in Washington, D.C. and in California.

“Pro-abortion interest groups were among those who opposed Issue 1. They want to promote unlimited abortion in Ohio and want to change the Ohio constitution based on their sordid pro-abortion values,” said Tobias.

Tobias continued, “They also want to ensure that Ohio’s minor daughters can have abortions without their parents’ knowledge.”

An upcoming ballot initiative in November, if successful, would change the state’s constitution and enshrine unlimited abortion as part of the constitution in Ohio.

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.

Legal Challenge to the Law Could Leave Idaho’s Daughters Vulnerable to Sexual Predators

WASHINGTON – In April, Governor Brad Little of Idaho signed a bill designed to protect minor daughters in the state of Idaho.

Idaho’s HB 242 prevents an abortion—whether surgical or procured using abortion drugs—from being performed on a minor without the knowledge of her parents or guardians.

Since then, misinformation about the law and its scope has made its way into the mainstream media. In July, pro-abortion groups filed for a temporary restraining order against enforcement of the law, once again prompting stories loaded with misinformation.

“If successful, the challenge to Idaho’s abortion trafficking law could potentially make minor daughters the victims of sexual predators and traffickers,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life (NRLC). “The only ones to benefit would be the traffickers who would exploit minor girls.”

HB 242 makes it a crime for an adult to transport a pregnant minor within the state of Idaho for the purpose of obtaining an abortion with the intent to conceal the abortion from the parents or guardian of the minor.

“There are those who would prey on minors and then conceal their crimes by procuring abortions for their victims,” said Tobias. “Idaho’s law is designed to protect minor daughters from predators and from those who would deny parents the right to be involved in their minor daughter’s abortion.”

Idaho is the first state to make abortion trafficking of minors illegal and the language is based on the model National Right to Life drafted in June 2022. Missouri passed a law in 2005 that prohibits aiding a minor in getting an abortion without her parents’ consent.

In Dobbs v. Jackson, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that “The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.”

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 – Thirty-three years ago, President George H.W. Bush signed the groundbreaking Americans with Disabilities Act.

At the signing, President Bush stated:

With today’s signing of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act, every man, woman, and child with a disability can now pass through once-closed doors into a bright new era of equality, independence, and freedom.

The following statement can be attributed to Carol Tobias:

Today, we commemorate the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act being signed into law by then-President George H. W. Bush. We also celebrate the hard work of the late Senator Robert Dole (R-Kan.) for his diligent efforts to protect and bring visibility to persons with disabilities.

The Americans with Disabilities Act was a milestone in protecting the right to life of Americans with disabilities. Every person, from the unborn child to the elderly, has the same right to life as any other human being and should be free from those who would advocate for their deaths from assisted suicide or euthanasia.

This is especially true for persons with disabilities, even today, thirty-three years after the signing of the Americans with Disabilities 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 – Today, District Judge Joseph Seidlin issued a temporary injunction of Iowa’s 2023 Heartbeat Law.

The bill was signed into law by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds on Friday while the judge heard arguments in the courtroom. The temporary injunction prevents the law from going into effect while the law is challenged in the courts.

“We are deeply saddened that Iowa’s Heartbeat Law cannot immediately save lives,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “The judge’s decision ignores the will of the people of Iowa who want to see unborn children protected in state law.”

Tobias continued, “We praise Governor Kim Reynolds and pro-life legislators for their dedication and commitment to the protection of the most vulnerable members of the human family. We also thank the hard work of our Iowa affiliate, Iowa Right to Life, and the pro-life coalition that diligently persevered in seeing this law pass.”

Governor Kim Reynold’s said the following in a statement issued following the injunction:

The abortion industry’s attempt to thwart the will of Iowans and the voices of their elected representatives continues today, but I will fight this all the way to the Iowa Supreme Court where we expect a decision that will finally provide justice for the unborn.

The Iowa General Assembly passed the bill in a special legislative session with a vote of 56 to 34 in the Iowa House and 32 to 17 in the Iowa Senate. Planned Parenthood of the Heartland filed for an injunction before the governor signed the bill into law.

On July 5, pro-life Governor Kim Reynolds called for a special legislative session in response to the June 16 Iowa Supreme Court’s 3-3 decision regarding a lower court injunction against Iowa’s 2018 Fetal Heartbeat Law. The 2018 law was designed to protect unborn babies from abortion after the heartbeat has been detected. The split decision by the Iowa Supreme Court allows a lower court injunction against the 2018 law to stand.

Passage of Iowa’s 2023 Heartbeat Law places it under the guidelines rendered in the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

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 – Today, Governor Kim Reynolds signed Iowa’s law protecting unborn children from abortion after the heartbeat has been detected.

The Iowa General Assembly passed the bill late Tuesday night in a special legislative session. The bill passed in a vote of 56 to 34 in the Iowa House and 32 to 17 in the Iowa Senate.

“We praise Governor Kim Reynolds, pro-life members of the Iowa legislature, and pro-life leaders across the state,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “We also praise our Iowa affiliate, Iowa Right to Life, for their hard work in passing this law which will protect unborn children.”

On July 5, pro-life Governor Kim Reynolds called for the special legislative session in response to the June 16 Iowa Supreme Court’s 3-3 decision regarding a lower court injunction against Iowa’s 2018 Fetal Heartbeat Law. The 2018 law was designed to protect unborn babies from abortion after the heartbeat has been detected. The split decision by the Iowa Supreme Court allows a lower court injunction against the 2018 law to stand.

“Iowa Right to Life wants to thank pro-life champions Governor Kim Reynolds and the pro-life members of the Iowa legislature,” said Kristi Judkins, executive director of Iowa Right to Life. “They were committed to seeing this legislation pass and we honor them! We are proud to stand beside Governor Reynolds, the pro-life legislators, and members of our Iowa Coalition of Pro-Life Leaders.”

Continued Judkins, “The mission of our adversaries is to see more babies killed by abortion, but we will continue to advocate for life and will not stop fighting until abortion becomes unthinkable. We want to see lives saved and women no longer placed in harm’s way because of abortion.”

Today’s signing brings forward a Fetal Heartbeat Law and places it under the guidelines rendered in the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

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.

Jackson Amendment Would Prevent Taxpayer Funds
From Being Used to Pay for Abortion Travel

WASHINGTON – Today, the House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 in a vote of 219 to 210.

On Thursday, an amendment offered by Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) to prohibit the Secretary of Defense from paying for or reimbursing expenses relating to elective abortion passed in a vote of 221 to 213.

“We praise House GOP leadership for their work in preventing taxpayer funds from illegally being used to pay for or reimburse expenses related to abortion travel,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “The Biden Administration has shown repeatedly that it thinks taxpayers are a never-ending source of funds for its abortion agenda.”

Continued Tobias, “The Jackson Amendment in the NDAA prevents the Biden Administration from circumventing established law.”

Federal law (10 U.S.C. § 1093) has long prevented the Department of Defense (DOD) from using funds to perform elective abortions and prevented the DOD from using its facilities to provide abortions. On October 20, 2022, the Biden Administration’s DOD published a memorandum directing the DOD to pay the travel and transportation costs for military members and dependents who travel to obtain elective abortions.

The federal prohibition against DOD funding of elective abortion clearly extends to funding for any item related to abortion, such as travel and transportation, which has been the case for the entire life of the funding prohibition.

The Jackson Amendment:

• Clarifies and explains federal law (10 U.S.C. § 1093) that prevents DOD funding from being used to perform elective abortions and prohibits DOD facilities from being used to provide abortions.
• Repeals the October 20, 2022 memorandum.
• Amends federal law to clarify that the DOD may not pay for the licensure of healthcare professionals in a state if the purpose is to provide abortions.

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.

Amendment Would Prevent Taxpayer Funds
From Being Used to Pay for Abortion Travel

WASHINGTON – Today, the House of Representatives continued debate on H.R. 2670, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024.

An amendment offered by Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) to prohibit the Secretary of Defense from paying for or reimbursing expenses relating to elective abortion passed in a vote of 221 to 213.

“We thank Representative Ronny Jackson for his efforts to prevent the illegal use of taxpayer funds to pay for or reimburse expenses related to abortion,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life.

Continued Tobias, “Contrary to remarks made on the House floor, Republicans are not the ones trying to change the status quo. It is the Biden Administration wanting to dip into the pockets of taxpayers and illegally use that money to pay for abortion travel.”

Federal law (10 U.S.C. § 1093) has long prevented the Department of Defense (DOD) from using funds to perform elective abortions and prevented the DOD from using its facilities to provide abortions. On October 20, 2022, the Biden Administration’s DOD published a memorandum directing the DOD to pay the travel and transportation costs for military members and dependents who travel to obtain elective abortions.

The federal prohibition against DOD funding of elective abortion clearly extends to funding for any item related to abortion, such as travel and transportation, which has been the case for the entire life of the funding prohibition.

The amendment would:

• Clarify and explain federal law (10 U.S.C. § 1093) that prevents DOD funding from being used to perform elective abortions and prohibits DOD facilities from being used to provide abortions.
• Repeal the October 20, 2022 memorandum.
• Amend federal law to clarify that the DOD may not pay for the licensure of healthcare professionals in a state if the purpose is to provide abortions.

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 (12:30 AM) – Late tonight, the Iowa General Assembly met in a special legislative session to pass legislation protecting unborn children from abortion after the heartbeat has been detected.

The bill passed in a vote of 56 to 34 in the Iowa House and 32 to 17 in the Iowa Senate.

“We thank Governor Kim Reynolds and the pro-life members of the Iowa legislature who are champions for the right to life,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “We also thank our affiliate Iowa Right to Life as well as pro-life people across the state of Iowa for their commitment and hard work toward protecting unborn children.”

On July 5, pro-life Governor Kim Reynolds called for the special legislative session in response to the June 15 Iowa Supreme Court’s 3-3 decision regarding a lower court injunction against Iowa’s 2018 Fetal Heartbeat Law. The 2018 law was designed to protect unborn babies from abortion after the heartbeat has been detected. The split decision by the Iowa Supreme Court allows a lower court injunction against the 2018 law to stand.

Tuesday’s vote in the Iowa legislature brings forward a Fetal Heartbeat Law and places it under the guidelines rendered in the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

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 from Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life:

It is with great sadness that we mourn the loss of Margie Montgomery, our long-time friend and colleague who went to be with her Savior on Tuesday, July 4. Margie was co-founder of Kentucky Right to Life and served as the executive director of Kentucky Right to Life from 1974 to 2020. Margie also served as Kentucky’s representative to the National Right to Life board of directors from 1976 to 2022.

Margie’s passion to protect the most vulnerable among us fueled her work over the years to see Roe v. Wade overturned. Margie was one of the giants in the pro-life movement and will be greatly missed. Our prayers are with her family and loved ones.

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.

Governor Reynolds Calls for Special Legislative Session

WASHINGTON – Pro-life Governor Kim Reynolds is calling a special legislative session on July 11 to enact new legislation protecting unborn children.

The governor’s action is in response to the June 15 Iowa Supreme Court’s 3-3 decision regarding a lower court injunction against Iowa’s 2018 Fetal Heartbeat Law. The 2018 law was designed to protect unborn babies from abortion after the heartbeat has been detected. The split decision by the Iowa Supreme Court allows a lower court injunction against the law to stand.

“Governor Kim Reynolds is a champion for the right to life,” said Carol Tobias. “We praise her and thank her for her dedication and commitment to the right to life and to the goal of seeing unborn children protected in our laws.”

In her remarks regarding the special session, Governor Reynolds said,

I believe the pro-life movement is the most important human rights cause of our time. Not only will I continue to fight against the inhumanity of abortion, but I will also remain committed to supporting women in planning for motherhood, promoting fatherhood and parenting, and continuing policies that encourage strong families. These are the most essential building blocks of our society, and they are what will keep the foundation of our state and country strong for generations to come.

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.