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rescinding or formally repudiating eight prior guidance documents issued under the previous administration that were outdated, inconsistent with federal law, or improperly expanded abortion-related mandates under the guise of conscience enforcement.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.

WASHINGTON — National Right to Life strongly condemns a federal court decision dismissing a legal challenge to Delaware’s new Medical Aid in Dying law, clearing the way for physician-assisted suicide to take effect on January 1, 2026.

“This ruling is deeply troubling for anyone concerned about the protection of vulnerable patients,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “The fact that a court dismissed this case on procedural grounds does not erase the serious moral, ethical, and public policy dangers posed by assisted suicide laws—especially for people with disabilities, the elderly, and those facing serious illness.”

The lawsuit, brought by disability and patient advocacy groups, raised urgent concerns that assisted suicide laws create a two-tiered system of care—one in which some patients are offered suicide instead of life-affirming treatment, support, and suicide prevention. Although the court concluded the plaintiffs lacked standing, it did not resolve the profound questions about how these laws affect medical ethics, disability rights, and equal protection under the law.

“Labeling assisted suicide as ‘voluntary’ ignores the very real pressures faced by patients who may feel like a burden, lack adequate access to palliative care, or fear prolonged suffering without sufficient support,” Tobias continued. “True compassion does not involve helping someone end their life. It means standing with them, treating their pain, and affirming their inherent dignity until natural death.”

National Right to Life also expressed concern that Delaware’s law is set to take effect without a fully developed regulatory framework in place, increasing the risk of abuse, coercion, and inadequate oversight.

Disability rights advocates plan to appeal the decision.

Oregon became the first state, in 1994, to legalize assisted suicide. Since then, twelve states (12) and Washington D.C. have passed similar laws.

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 welcomes yesterday’s ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit that lifts a preliminary injunction issued in State of California et al. v. Department of Health and Human Services that sought to block a provision of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” which defunds major abortion providers. The provision prevents abortion providers—most notably Planned Parenthood—from receiving Medicaid funds if they exceed certain thresholds.

“This ruling is an important reminder that the federal government has both the authority and the responsibility to ensure taxpayer dollars are not used to subsidize elective abortion,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “The First Circuit correctly recognized that HHS is likely to prevail on the merits. Americans overwhelmingly oppose being forced to fund abortion, and this decision helps restore accountability and respect for long-standing federal law.” 

The One Big Beautiful Bill, signed into law on July 4th by President Donald J. Trump, includes critical provisions that halt the use of taxpayer dollars to subsidize the abortion industry. It passed narrowly in Congress after a strong show of resolve from pro-life lawmakers.

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 (NRL) applauds the Government of Puerto Rico and Governor Jenniffer González Colón for signing Senate Bill 504 into law, affirming that human life begins at conception and that unborn children are to be legally recognized as natural persons under Puerto Rico’s Civil Code.

“National Right to Life celebrates this landmark achievement for the pro‑life movement,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Puerto Rico’s clear and courageous recognition of preborn babies as persons reflects a deep respect for life and provides a powerful example for lawmakers throughout the United States. Legal personhood for the preborn is not only consistent with science and human dignity but is the foundation upon which a culture of life can flourish.”

This historic legal recognition marks one of the strongest pro‑life affirmations within U.S. jurisdictions. By explicitly acknowledging the inherent dignity and personhood of the preborn, Puerto Rico has taken a principled and scientifically grounded step to align its civil law with the biological reality that human life begins at fertilization. 

SB 504 amends the Civil Code to recognize the preborn child as a natural person from the moment of conception. While the law does not alter Puerto Rico’s current abortion statutes, it establishes an important legal and moral precedent by embedding recognition of the unborn child within the territory’s legal framework.

“Puerto Rico’s action stands as a compelling reaffirmation that the protection of human life at all stages is a fundamental civil right,” said Tobias. “This measure underscores the essential truth that every human being—born and unborn—deserves equal protection under the law.”

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 condemned the actions of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker for signing into law a bill that legalizes assisted suicide. This bill puts the lives of medically vulnerable Illinoisans at grave risk.

“Assisted suicide is not health care, and it is not compassion,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “This law abandons people at their most vulnerable moments and sends the message that their lives are not worth living. It sets Illinois on a path where the elderly, those with a disability or struggling with serious illness may find themselves pressured—subtly or overtly—to end their lives prematurely.”

Despite years of warnings from disability advocates, medical professionals, pro-life organizations, and members of the Illinois legislature, Governor Pritzker has chosen to open the door to a policy that has proven dangerous and destructive wherever it has been implemented. 

“Once again, ideological commitments have trumped patient safety,” Tobias continued. “The experience of countries and states that have legalized assisted suicide is clear: safeguards erode, eligibility expands, and the most vulnerable pay the price. Illinois will be no exception.”

The Illinois law was rushed through the legislature under the guise of compassion, but its passage followed a troubling pattern. As in other states, proponents relied on emotional appeals while downplaying or dismissing well-documented risks.

National Right to Life has long warned that legalizing assisted suicide undermines the foundational principle that every human life has value and deserves protection. The organization continues to advocate for policies that expand access to true compassionate care—palliative care, pain management, community support—not laws that facilitate premature death.

 “We grieve for the lives that will be lost because of this misguided law,” Tobias said. “But National Right to Life will continue working with Illinois pro-life advocates, medical professionals, and national partners to ensure that vulnerable patients are not abandoned and that no further erosion of life-affirming protections takes place.”

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 commended U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and U.S. Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), along with a broad coalition of pro-life senators and representatives, for issuing a bicameral letter calling on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to stop administering taxpayer-funded health care plans that include elective abortion coverage for members of Congress and their staff. 

“Federal law has long prohibited taxpayer dollars from being used to subsidize elective abortions,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “It is unacceptable for OPM to ignore these clear legal protections and force Americans to underwrite abortion coverage for Congress and its staff. We applaud Senator Lee, Representative Smith, and all the signers for demanding accountability and adherence to the law.”

Since 1984, the Smith Amendment has explicitly barred the use of appropriated funds to pay for abortions or “the administrative expenses in connection with any health plan” that covers elective abortion — except in cases of rape, incest, or where the life of the mother is endangered. Despite this longstanding and unambiguous restriction, OPM has continued to administer government contributions toward nearly all available health plans offered to congressional employees, the vast majority of which include elective abortion coverage. This is something explicitly forbidden for every other federal employee under the Smith Amendment.

OPM has attempted to justify these subsidies by attributing abortion-related costs to individual enrollees rather than to taxpayers—an approach the letter’s authors rightly describe as an “accounting gimmick.” 

“Taxpayers should not be compelled to finance abortion through hidden subsidies or bureaucratic loopholes,” Tobias added. “Members of Congress should play by the same rules as every other federal employee when it comes to abortions paid for with tax dollars.”

National Right to Life strongly supports this oversight effort and urges OPM to immediately end the unlawful subsidization of abortion coverage.

The letter was signed by Senators Jim Banks (R-IN), Steve Daines (R-MT), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ted Cruz (R-TX), James Lankford (R-OK), and Pete Ricketts (R-NE), along with Representatives Sheri Biggs (R-SC), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Eric Burlison (R-MO), Ben Cline (R-VA), Andrew Clyde (R-GA), Michael Cloud (R-TX), Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Russ Fulcher (R-ID), Michael Guest (R-MS), Clay Higgins (R-LA), Mark Messmer (R-IN), Mary Miller (R-IL), Barry Moore (R-AL), Keith Self (R-TX), Marlin Stutzman (R-IN), and Daniel Webster (R-FL).

The full letter is available 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.

Warns Against Government Intrusion into Donor Privacy and Pro-Life Advocacy

WASHINGTON — National Right to Life today commended the U.S. Supreme Court for taking up First Choice Women’s Resource Centers v. Platkin, a case that strikes at the heart of Americans’ constitutional freedoms of speech and association. The case arises from an attempt by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin to compel First Choice Women’s Resource Centers—a longstanding, life-affirming charity—to disclose the private donor information associated with nearly 5,000 individual contributions.

“No government official needs to know which charitable organizations Americans support, and no attorney general should be allowed to misuse state power to intimidate or harass pro-life groups,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Forcing disclosure of donor information has been used throughout history as a political weapon. This kind of government overreach chills free speech, threatens the safety and privacy of donors, and diverts vital resources away from helping women and saving lives.”

Attorney General Platkin’s demand echoes troubling historical precedents in which compelled disclosure was used to punish dissenting viewpoints. Even the threat of compelled disclosure is enough to deter Americans from joining, supporting, or donating to causes they believe in. This violates the core constitutional protections that ensure that any viewpoint—such as the core belief in the right to life held by pro-life Americans—cannot be silenced by government intimidation or public pressure campaigns.

“Political disagreements must never become an excuse to weaponize the investigative power of the state,” Tobias added. “If officials can rummage through the private records of a pregnancy help center without cause, then no nonprofit—regardless of its mission—will be safe.”

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 called on Members of Congress to firmly reject attempts by abortion advocacy groups to pressure lawmakers into abandoning efforts to protect taxpayer dollars from subsidizing elective abortion through Affordable Care Act (ACA) health plans.

“For decades, federal policy has been clear: taxpayers should not be forced to fund or subsidize abortion,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Attempts to undermine that consensus are deeply out of step with the values of the American people.”

Despite claims by pro-abortion groups such as Planned Parenthood and Reproductive Freedom for All that current law fully safeguards taxpayer dollars, the ACA’s structure circumvents the traditional Hyde Amendment protections that apply to most federal healthcare programs. For more than four decades, Hyde protections have represented a durable, bipartisan agreement: taxpayer dollars should not be used to pay for or promote elective abortion. Under Section 1303 of the ACA, insurers participating in the Marketplace may include abortion coverage in subsidized plans as long as they engage in a bookkeeping exercise that “segregates” funds. In practice, this mechanism has proven opaque, inconsistently enforced, and insufficient to ensure that public funding and abortion coverage remain meaningfully separate.

“For years, federal watchdogs have warned that the ACA’s segregation scheme lacks transparency, accountability, and reliable oversight,” Tobias continued. “The American public deserves better than a paper barrier that does little to ensure that their tax dollars are not supporting unlimited abortion.”

Pro-life lawmakers have repeatedly sought to ensure that ACA Marketplace subsidies mirror the same Hyde-like protections that govern Medicaid, federal employee health plans, and other major healthcare programs. These provisions do not restrict anyone’s ability to purchase abortion coverage with private funds, but they do prevent taxpayers from subsidizing plans.

Current proposals in Congress would simply restore this widely supported framework. Contrary to the claims of abortion advocacy groups, these efforts do not “create chaos,” or “eliminate coverage.” They restore clarity, consistency, and integrity to federal policy.

“Comparing basic taxpayer protections to ‘chaos’ is a cynical attempt to bully lawmakers into ignoring their constituents and the clear moral and policy concerns at stake,” said Tobias. “Congress has a clear mandate to ensure that taxpayer funds are used responsibly and in accordance with longstanding federal policy.”

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 —The federal government has reopened following President Trump’s signing of a bipartisan spending package passed by Congress. The action ends the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

Last night, the House of Representatives voted 222 to 209 to give final approval to the funding measure. The Senate began clearing the way on Monday, when eight Senate Democrats crossed party lines in a vote that opened the door for the government to resume operations. Their votes came with a promise from Senate leadership to allow a future vote on extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies—which currently reimburse insurance plans that include elective abortion.

“For weeks, a majority of Democratic lawmakers were willing to keep the federal government closed in order to protect federal funding streams that benefit abortionists,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “During that time, federal employees went without pay, SNAP benefits were halted, and essential services were disrupted.”

Tobias continued, “The vast majority of Americans oppose having their tax dollars used to pay for abortions. Yet many Democrats were willing to disrupt our economy, keep food from families, and leave our transportation system uncertain—all to prioritize the interests of the abortion industry over the needs of the American people.”

Last week, National Right to Life sent a letter to every member of Congress reiterating strong opposition to any extension of ACA subsidies unless Hyde-like protections are restored. Unlike longstanding federal healthcare programs, the ACA was structured to circumvent the traditional Hyde Amendment protections that prevent taxpayer funds from subsidizing abortion. For more than four decades, Hyde protections have represented a durable, bipartisan agreement: taxpayer dollars should not be used to pay for or promote elective abortion. 

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.