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    13Mar, 2023
    National Right to Life letter to Senate Majority Leader Schumer suggests March 22 as date for “show-vote on the political simulation of the Equal Rights Amendment”

    WASHINGTON (March 13, 2023) — The President of the National Right to Life Committee, Carol Tobias, today sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), suggesting “that you schedule the show-vote on the political simulation of the Equal Rights Amendment for Wednesday, March 22.”

    Tobias said the date “would be appropriate, since the date will mark the 44th anniversary of the day that the real Equal Rights Amendment irrevocably expired– a real event that has been followed by seemingly endless displays of political performance art, of which the upcoming vote… will be yet another.”

    The letter in PDF format can be viewed or downloaded here.

    Schumer promised pro-ERA advocacy groups that he would seek a vote before April on S.J. Res. 4, a joint resolution that purports to insert the long-expired 1972 Equal Rights Amendment into the U.S. Constitution, ostensibly setting aside both the ratification deadline (although upheld by multiple federal courts) and rescissions by four state legislatures prior to the deadline.

    On February 28, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia unanimously rejected a lawsuit seeking judicial recognition of the ERA as having been ratified. In her letter, Tobias said that pro-ERA litigants have approached six federal courts with their legal claims over a period of decades and “been rejected in every case and by every judge– but the show must go on, right?”

    For more of the back-story on the longest-running political show in current production, contact the NRLC Media Relations Department at 202-626-8825 or 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.

    2Mar, 2023
    National Right to Life Releases White Paper:
    Questions & Answers: FDA’s Latest Decision to Allow Pharmacies to Stock and Sell the Abortion Pill Mifepristone
    Paper Answers Common Questions Regarding FDA Decision

    WASHINGTON, D.C.— On Thursday, March 2, National Right to Life released a white paper in a question-and-answer format addressing common concerns regarding the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) decision to update labeling for mifepristone (generic for Mifeprex) that would allow pharmacies to dispense the drug.

    “More than two dozen deaths and thousands of complications are associated with the use of the mifepristone/misoprostol chemical abortion method,” said Randall K. O’Bannon, Ph.D., director of education and research for National Right to Life and author of the white paper. “With these safety concerns, it is not surprising that questions have arisen regarding the FDA’s decision to allow pharmacies to dispense the abortion drug combination.”

    O’Bannon continued, “Thousands of ‘adverse events,’ on record with the FDA include serious infections, severe hemorrhaging, and the rupture of previously undiscovered ectopic pregnancies.”

    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’s 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.

    Questions & Answers: FDA’s Latest Decision to Allow Pharmacies to Stock and Sell the Abortion Pill Mifepristone 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.

     

    1Mar, 2023
    White House Proclamation Celebrating Women’s History Month Promotes Abortion

    WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, February 28, the White House released the Biden administration’s proclamation about Women’s History Month which included promises to promote laws and policies that would support unlimited abortion.

    “The president’s proclamation is ironic,” stated Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life (NRL). “By promoting abortion, the Biden-Harris administration is promoting the destruction of many of tomorrow’s female leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, scientists, and educators—just a few of the noted accomplishments praised in the proclamation.”

    In its 10th annual report, The State of Abortion in the United States, National Right to Life, based on data from the CDC and the Guttmacher Institute, now estimates that 64,443,118 abortions have been performed in the United States since 1973. Of these abortions, approximately half were performed on unborn baby girls.

    Instead of policies that would advance the right to life, the Biden administration promotes policies and laws that support unlimited abortions and have the potential to harm women, including:

    • suspending protections established for women undergoing chemical abortions, such as seeing the abortionist in person. The in-person requirement of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ensured that complications, such as ectopic pregnancy, were ruled out in advance of a woman undergoing a chemical abortion. Mifepristone, the “abortion pill,” has no effect on ectopic pregnancies and leaves the woman with this life-threatening medical condition. The FDA recently announced that certified pharmacists will be permitted to dispense chemical abortion drugs and it will permit these dangerous drugs to be sent through the mail.
    • strongly supporting the radical Women’s Health Protection Act which would essentially remove nearly all legal protections for unborn children on the federal and state level and prevent future protections for unborn children.
    • supporting the elimination of the Hyde Amendment which prevents the use of federal funds to pay for abortions except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.

    “Women’s History Month is about the contributions women have made to our nation’s history. Predictably, the Biden administration uses Women’s History Month to promote policies that support unlimited abortion and have caused untold harm to women and their unborn children,” said Tobias. “The tragedy is that mothers facing an unexpected pregnancy are often told, incorrectly, that they cannot achieve success in life unless they have an abortion.”

    The State of Abortion in the United States, 2023 report can be found here.

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

     

    27Feb, 2023
    MEDIA ADVISORY: Ignoring Federal Courts, Senate Democrats Launch a Political Show Starring the Long-Expired “Equal Rights Amendment”

    WASHINGTON (Feb. 27, 2023) – U.S. Senate Democrats this week are launching a political show starring the ghost of the failed Equal Rights Amendment – disregarding 41 years of federal court rulings recognizing that the 1972 proposal expired decades ago.

    On Tuesday, February 28, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing, “The Equal Rights Amendment: How Congress Can Recognize Ratification and Enshrine Equality in Our Constitution.” The hearing is a warm up for a Senate floor vote in March on S.J. Res. 4 (Cardin-Murkowski), a joint resolution that purports to both retroactively “remove” the ratification deadline incorporated into the ERA Resolution (approved by two-thirds votes in Congress in 1971-72), and to declare the ERA to be part of the Constitution (i.e., nullifying four pre-deadline state rescissions).

    “The phony ERA resuscitation measure will fail in both Senate and House,” said Douglas Johnson, director of the National Right to Life Committee’s ERA Project. “The measure is a cheap political gimmick that would have no legal effect even if it passed—Congress’s power to change the ERA Resolution ended a half-century ago.”

    More than four decades after the ERA expired, legal claims that the ERA remains viable have failed to gain a single iota of validation from the federal judiciary. “Every time the issue has been litigated in federal court, most recently in 2021, the pro-ERA side has lost, no matter whether the judge was appointed by a Democrat or a Republican,” wrote the Washington Post Fact Checker in February 2022, awarding “Four Pinocchios” to claims by then-Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) that the Archivist was obligated to certify the ERA as part of the Constitution.

    In 2021, federal Judge Rudoph Contreras (appointed by President Obama) held that the ratification deadline was constitutionally binding, that it would have been “absurd” for the Archivist of the U.S. to have disregarded it, and that the actions of legislatures in Nevada, Illinois, and Virginia (2017-2020) “came too late to count.” That ruling was appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, where a three-judge panel heard oral arguments on September 28, 2022. The Washington Post reported, “A panel of federal judges expressed skepticism Wednesday about two states’ effort to enshrine gender equality in the U.S. Constitution by getting the federal government to recognize the Equal Rights Amendment decades after it was considered dead.” The D.C. Circuit ruling is expected any month.

    The House of Representatives passed a narrower ERA-revival measure in March 2021, after which it was held “at the desk” for 21 months in the Senate, with Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) never taking the simple procedural step required to force a cloture vote on advancing the measure. “This is all a political show to string along the gullible,” Johnson said. “Schumer sat on a House-passed ERA-revival measure for 21 months without action, but now with the House under Republican control, he launches a big show with this doomed, phony, court-defying measure.”

    Also on February 28, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on the nomination of Colleen Shogan, Ph.D. In testimony last year (Sept. 21, 2022), Shogan said that if confirmed as Archivist, she would not certify the ERA as part of the Constitution unless directed to do so by a “final court order.” Activist groups continue to demand that President Biden order the Archivist to certify the ERA, notwithstanding Judge Contreras’ ruling that the ERA has not been ratified.

    In a statement issued February 24, 2022, the National Archives and Records Administration made it clear that the government’s position remains that ERA has not been ratified. Contrary to claims by some ERA advocacy groups and lawmakers, the Justice Department has not said that Congress has the power to retroactively change the deadline. Rather, the DoJ has merely observed that “Congress is entitled to take a different view” — different, that is, from the last-stated DoJ position as set forth in a detailed 2020 legal opinion, that Congress’ legitimate role on the 1972 ERA is long past.

    At the September 28, 2022 oral argument before the D.C. Circuit panel, Judge Robert Wilkins asked, “Why shouldn’t the Archivist just certify and publish [the ERA], and let Congress decide whether the deadline should be enforced…?” Deputy Assistant Attorney General Sarah Harrington replied, “The Constitution doesn’t contemplate any role for Congress at the back end. Congress proposes the amendment, it goes out into the world, and the states do what they’re going to do.”

    For decades, ERA proponents denied or deflected pro-life objections to the 1972 ERA language, often flatly asserting that the ERA had “nothing to do” with abortion. Now, however, leaders of prominent pro-abortion groups and lawmakers openly proclaim that if interpreted in the manner they deem proper, the proposed federal ERA language would bar limits on abortion (including late abortion) and limits on government subsidies for abortion. As Ting Ting Cheng, director of the Columbia University ERA Project, recently explained, “For a long time, it was kind of, ‘Don’t talk about that.’ Or, ‘That will just scare off the Republicans, or that will make people in Congress not support the ERA’.” “Even though all prominent pro-ERA advocacy groups now assert that the ERA would provide sweeping protection for abortion rights, some journalists oddly continue to present the ERA-abortion link as a ‘Republican’ or ‘conservative’ claim,” Johnson noted.

    On January 23, 2023, NRLC issued a Special Report on the Equal Rights Amendment, which explains the history of the ERA-resuscitation narrative, with special emphasis on pertinent events of the past three years in the federal courts, Congress, and the Executive Branch.

    NRLC’s letter to the Senate in opposition to S.J. Res. 4 may be viewed or downloaded 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, NRLC works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

    Douglas Johnson, director of the National Right to Life ERA Project, is NRLC’s subject matter expert on the Equal Rights Amendment, an issue on which he has worked directly, and written, for 40 years. Mr. Johnson is available for telephone interviews or email exchanges to discuss the congressional and ratification histories of the ERA, to comment on the legal and political aspects of the issue, and to discuss the ERA-abortion connection.

    7Feb, 2023
    President Promotes Abortion Without Limits in the State of the Union
    Under the Biden Administration, the Losers are
    Women and Their Unborn Babies

    WASHINGTON — During the State of the Union address Tuesday evening, President Biden once again committed his administration to supporting abortion extremism.

    “During the State of the Union, Joe Biden said that Congress must codify Roe v. Wade,” said Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee. “Biden also clearly stated that he and Vice President Harris are doing ‘everything we can’ to protect abortion without limits.”

    As president, Joe Biden and his administration have aggressively promoted abortion without limits. Since entering office, President Biden has become the most pro-abortion president in history. His administration has:

    • promoted abortion around the world by reversing the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance program which prevented federal taxpayer dollars from being used by abortion groups to perform or promote abortion overseas;
    • suspended protections established for women undergoing chemical abortions, such as seeing the abortionist in person. The in-person requirement ensured that complications, such as an ectopic pregnancy, are ruled out in advance of a woman undergoing a chemical abortion. Mifepristone, the “abortion pill,” has no effect on an ectopic pregnancy and leaves the woman with this life- threatening medical condition. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will also permit pharmacists to dispense chemical abortion drugs, and will permit these dangerous drugs to be sent through the mail;
    • strongly supported the radical Women’s Health Protection Act which would essentially remove all legal protections for unborn children on the federal and state level and prevent future protections for unborn children;
    • supported eliminating the Hyde Amendment which prevents the use of federal funds to pay for abortions except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother;
    • has considered actions to advance access to abortion, including an effort to encourage states to apply for Medicaid waivers to pay for abortion travel;
    • has announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs will pay for and provide abortions for “health reasons,” defined broadly as to be for any reason. This has been statutorily prohibited since 1992. Under the Biden Administration, the Department of Defense announced it will pay the travel and transportation costs for military members and dependents to travel to obtain elective abortions.

    “The Biden administration and the Democratic party have yet to hear of an abortion they wouldn’t support,” said Tobias. “Tragically, women and their unborn babies will be the ones to suffer.”

    Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of 50 state right-to-life affiliates 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, NRLC works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

     

     

    27Jan, 2023
    Lawsuits in North Carolina and West Virginia Seek to Force States to Allow Chemical Abortions in Violation of State Laws

    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.

    26Jan, 2023
    National Right to Life Praises Pro-life House and Senate Leaders for Supporting the Right to Life
    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.

    26Jan, 2023
    Democrats Target the Hyde Amendment
    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.

    23Jan, 2023
    National Right to Life Releases Tenth Annual Report: The State of Abortion in the United States

    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.

    20Jan, 2023
    More than 64 Million Unborn Children Have Died Since Roe v. Wade
    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.

    11Jan, 2023
    National Right to Life Commends House Action on Condemning Violence Against Pro-life Pregnancy Care Centers, Pro-Life Groups, and Churches

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) commended H. Con. Res. 3 which expressed the sense of the House of Representatives condemning the recent attacks on pro-life facilities, groups, and churches. The resolution was sponsored by Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.).

    The resolution passed 222-209.

    “This resolution recognizes that pregnancy care centers, pro-life groups, and churches should be able to continue to serve the needs of women in their communities without fear of violence,” said Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee. “We thank House pro-life leaders Speaker McCarthy and Majority Leader Steve Scalise for their leadership on this issue and Rep. Mike Johnson for sponsoring this resolution.”

    The Biden Administration has systematically failed to respond to numerous attacks on pregnancy care centers, pro-life groups, and churches that occurred in reaction to the Dobbs v. Jackson U.S. Supreme Court decision. There have been over 100 documented incidents in the time after the leaked Dobbs decision until today.

    The resolution condemns “recent attacks of vandalism, violence, and destruction against pro-life facilities, groups, and churches,” and calls on the Biden Administration to use its authority to protect the rights of such organizations.

    Nearly 3,000 pregnancy centers serve about 2 million clients annually, saving local communities millions of dollars by providing services at little to no cost. Many pregnancy centers provide limited obstetrical ultrasounds under a local doctor’s oversight as well as parenting classes. In addition, nearly all centers provide material assistance such as diapers, cribs, and car seats as well as practical help such as connecting a mother in need to local resources that can help her with housing or transportation.

    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.

    11Jan, 2023
    National Right to Life Praises House Action on The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act

    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.

    7Jan, 2023
    National Right to Life Congratulates Speaker McCarthy on His Election

    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.

    6Jan, 2023
    President Biden’s Food and Drug Administration Allows Retail Pharmacies to Dispense Abortion Drugs
    National Right to Life Asks Pro-Life Americans to Contact Major Pharmacies

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

    Unfortunately, both CVS and Walgreens have stated that they will sell the drug in select pharmacies which would place women at greater risk than ever before.

    “Mifepristone takes the life of an unborn baby and places her mother at risk of death,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “In no way can that be considered health care.”

    Tobias continued, “We ask pro-life Americans from across the United States to contact Walgreens and CVS. Let them know that dispensing death is bad business.”

    Mifepristone is used in combination with misoprostol, a prostaglandin, 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 or dying baby.

    “More than two dozen deaths and thousands of complications are associated with the use of these drugs,” said Randall K. O’Bannon, Ph.D., director of education and research for National Right to Life. “These ‘adverse events,’ on record with the FDA, include serious infections, severe hemorrhaging, and the rupture of previously undiscovered ectopic pregnancies.”

    The FDA’s 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.

    “Retail pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS should consider whether it is 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 executive director. “Their customers will not 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.”

    Contact information for CVS and Walgreens can be found here.

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

    5Jan, 2023
    South Carolina Citizens for Life and National Right to Life on the South Carolina Supreme Court Striking Down South Carolina’s Fetal Heartbeat Bill

    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.