Life Advocacy Briefing

Taking a Break

WISHING OUR READERS A BLESSED THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY, we hope our readers will understand our taking a break over the next week. Thursday is our production day, and on Nov. 28, we plan to take that day off, to spend it with family and in focused thanks to our Creator for His many blessings.

Question of the Week

WHO BENEFITS from aborting a baby conceived in incest? The incestor, of course, in many cases the one who escorts his victims to the abortuary. Abortion committed — evidence destroyed.

Senate Pushing Through Judicial Nominees

SENATORS ARE TAKING UP BIDEN NOMINATIONS to federal district judicial posts in a last-minute scurry to load the judiciary with left-leaners. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is pressing forward the lower court nominees after incoming Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) achieved an agreement to drop the more powerful circuit court nominees in return for GOP cooperation in allowing Senate business to go forward after a strategic slow-down.

Among the district court nominees who have achieved a “cloture” vote to advance to final  consideration of confirmation is Catherine Henry, nominated for a district judge post in Pennsylvania. We publish the cloture motion voting record at the close of this Life Advocacy Briefing and encourage readers to call home-state Senators with a thank-you to those who voted “no” and a request to both home-state Senators to vote “no” on the confirmation motion if it has not yet been disposed of. [Capitol switchboard: 202/224-3121]

We oppose the nomination because of Ms. Henry’s background including a year as staff attorney for the Feminist Majority Foundation, a pro-abortion lobby group.

Guess Who’s on the Target List

WHEN ELON MUSK & VIVEK RAMASWAMY ISSUED their initial intentions last week for cutting massive amounts of federal spending, the chopping block, according to CBS News, includes cutting out “the following areas:

• The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which receives $535 million a year,

• International organizations that receive $1.5 billion in grants, [and]

• Planned Parenthood and what they describe as ‘progressive groups’ that receive almost $300 million* per year.”

*Actually Planned Parenthood receives substantially more than $300 million per year. We expect the Musk-Ramaswamy DOGE outfit will discover that and propose eliminating it all, foreign and domestic.

If our readers wish to learn more about the initial cost-cutting plans being proposed for the next Administration, a comprehensive news report about it can be found on the Internet at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/musk-ramaswamy-doge-500-billion-spending-where-they-will-cut.

This Is Your Priority, Mr. President?

IN THE WANING DAYS OF HIS REMARKABLE ADMINISTRATION, Pres. Joe Biden (D) last Wednesday awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Cecile Richards, former 12-year president of Planned Parenthood, further nailing the lid on the coffin of his turbulent regime.

The medal was conferred in a private ceremony in the White House, with the President’s office releasing a statement declaring one of the nation’s chief cheerleaders for killing developing babies had “ ‘led some of our nation’s most important civil rights causes – to lift up the dignity of workers, defend and advance women’s reproductive rights and equality, and mobilize Americans to exercise their power to vote,’” reports Nathaniel Weixel for The Hill.

“The Medal of Freedom is given at the discretion of the President,” notes Mr. Weixel, “to a civilian who has made an ‘especially meritorious contribution’ to the country.”

But besides abusing the Medal, Pres. Biden went on to extol Ms. Richards as “‘a leader of utmost character [who] has carved an inspiring legacy that endures in her incredible family, the countless lives she has made better, and a nation seeking the light of equality, justice and freedom.’”

The Wisdom of Elon Musk

SINCE SO MANY FIND ELON MUSK OF SUCH INTEREST, and since he has been put into a powerful position in the incoming Trump Administration, the words of the world’s wealthiest man are bound to hold interest for those watching or seeking to influence public policy. That is why a report from Stephen Kokx in LifeSiteNews caught our eye. “Elon Musk Praises Families on X” is the title of his report. Though not on the record on the abortion issue, his attitudes offer encouragement.

“‘Instead of teaching fear of pregnancy,’” Mr. Musk said, quoted by Mr. Kokx, “‘we should teach fear of childlessness.’” Bingo!

“While campaigning for Donald Trump in Pittsburgh this past election cycle,” notes Mr. Kokx, “Musk had shared a similar message while speaking to an abortion survivor. ‘There’s nothing greater than having a kid,’ he said. ‘I get more joy in my life [from] my kids than anything else. … Having a child will make you happier than anything else in your life, ever.’”

Mr. Musk reportedly is the father of 12 children.

And, reports Mr. Kokx, he “used that opportunity” in the campaign stop “to blame schools for ‘terrifying’ girls and women with the idea that ‘getting pregnant is the end of your life’ for why they are not having as many children as they used to, echoing remarks he made to Tucker Carlson in October.”

This is apparently not a new attitude on Mr. Musk’s part. Notes Mr. Kokx: “As fertility rates across the West plummet, Musk has consistently warned about the coming population collapse. While he has never adopted the true pro-life position, he has pointed to birth control and abortion as contributing factors to the demographic crisis and has also pushed back against the absurd claims of climate extremists that a reduction in population is necessary for the future of the planet.”

Mr. Kokx further notes that Mr. Musk reacted to the 2022 “surprise passage in Ohio of a radical pro-abortion amendment,” saying, writes Mr. Kokx, “men and women have been misled regarding the harm of abortion. ‘Many men also fear that they will be unable to have “fun” if abortion is outlawed,’ he wrote. Children are ‘absolutely’ one of the most fulfilling things a person can have in life, he said.”

Please, Mr. Musk, tell that to the President-elect.

State of Illinois Sued Over Abortion Insurance Mandate

A FEDERAL LAWSUIT WAS FILED Nov. 20 against Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the state’s Attorney General Kwame Raoul and “other state officials,” according to a news release from the Thomas More Society (TMS), “to enjoin them from enforcing an unconstitutional law requiring health insurers to cover elective abortions and abortion-inducing drugs.”

In its blowback to the 2022 Dobbs decision voiding Roe v. Wade, state officials in Illinois enacted a law which, notes the TMS pro-bono law firm, “requires health insurance policies to cover elective abortions on the same terms as they cover pregnancy-related benefits. It also requires insurers to provide abortion-inducing drugs free of charge to any beneficiary who demands them, which forces other beneficiaries to pay for these abortions with their premiums. The Illinois law,” adds TMS, “provides no exceptions or accommodations for employers or individuals who object to abortion on religious or moral grounds.”

Said former Illinois State Rep. Peter Breen, TMS’s executive vice president and head of litigation, “‘For Christians and many other pro-life advocates, Illinois’s abortion-coverage mandate is fundamentally opposed to their religious beliefs and runs roughshod over their constitutionally protected conscience rights,’” adding: “‘Gov. J.B. Pritzker and his administration are on an uncompromising campaign to transform the Land of Lincoln into the nation’s abortion capital.’”

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit include Students for Life of America, Midwest Bible Church, Pro-Life Action League, Illinois Right to Life, Clapham School and DuPage Precision Products.

The Fight Goes On in Wyoming

A COUNTY DISTRICT JUDGE in Wyoming has barred the state from enforcing either its chemical abortion ban or its Life Is a Human Right Act, which, writes Calvin Freiburger for LifeSiteNews, “forbids abortion by any surgical or chemical method except in cases of rape, incest, lethal fetal abnormality or medical emergencies and forbids the use of public funds to pay for abortions.

“The law was meant,” notes Mr. Freiburger, “to replace the state’s pre-Roe trigger ban, which had been held up in court. Last year, Wyoming also became the first state with a law specifically dedicated to banning so-called ‘medication’ abortions.”

Putting herself in the place of Wyoming’s duly elected policymakers, Teton County District Judge Melissa Owens ruled, reports Mr. Freiburger, citing Fox News as source, “that [the two laws] ‘impede the fundamental right to make healthcare decisions for an entire class of people, pregnant women.’”

Reaction was swift, starting with Gov. Mark Gordon (R), who had appointed the judge and called the ruling “‘frustrating. … Still,’” he added in the LifeSiteNews report, “‘this is just one of the steps in the judicial process. … Regardless of her decision, it was clear there would be an appeal,’” said the governor, adding, “‘I remain committed to defending the constitutionality of this law and the sanctity of life.’”

The lead sponsor of the Life Is a Human Right Act also weighed in, quoted by Mr. Freiburger. “The ruling ‘goes beyond typical legal analysis and proclaims a nonexistent right to kill other humans solely because of their temporary location,’” said State Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams (R), adding, “‘I will never give up in the fight to protect life. I pray that some day we will all look back on this time with horror and regret. This,’” she said, “‘is the slavery of our time.’” Yes! Well said!

Back in Business

PRO-LIFE CITIZENS IN KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, showed up for prayer vigils and protests upon the re-opening of Planned Parenthood in the city in mid-October.

An arsonist had destroyed the abortion behemoth’s previous building in late 2021, while it was undergoing renovation for expansion. The new shop, on the same site, is “less than half the size” of the destroyed building, reports Jenny Hay for LifeSiteNews.

“Abortion is severely restricted in Tennessee,” notes Ms. Hay, “but CEO Ashley Coffield plans to offer ‘gender-affirming care,’ contraception, STI testing and treatment, pregnancy testing and ultrasounds. Area pro-lifers suspect,” she notes, “that Planned Parenthood may coordinate abortions through mail-order pills or transportation to states where abortion is legal,” something which could appropriately be addressed in federal legislation, since states cannot themselves limit interstate trafficking.

Here Is Another Priority for Trump 2.0 and for Prayer & Action

Nov. 11, 2024, LifeSiteNews guest commentary by Jonathan Darnel, pro-life prisoner of conscience, serving 34 months imprisonment upon conviction of violating the federal FACE Act

             On a personal level, I’m about as elated as anyone can be that Donald Trump is once again President of the United States. Several times Trump has promised to release all anti-abortion rescuers incarcerated for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE). That means, God willing, I could be home by February to help my family during an especially difficult time and return to the incredibly vital work of abolishing child-killing. These past 14 months were instructive and, in their own way, edifying. God moved deeply in my heart and used me to positively influence the lives of multiple convicts at four separate facilities. Nevertheless, the prospect of finally getting out still gladdens me.

             Yet don’t be mistaken: our rescue is not yet complete. One of the nine individuals convicted in our case must volunteer to stay in prison and complete his or her sentence so that the case may continue its appeal to the US Supreme Court. There, hopefully, FACE will be struck down and anti-abortion Americans may again rescue without fear of outrageous persecution by the Dept. of Justice. We’re still figuring that part out.

             Furthermore, Trump must not be allowed simply to release us and wash his hands of the whole affair. While we cannot be certain that the Supreme Court will overturn FACE, future rescues will still be feasible if the DOJ threat is neutralized. So, it is critically important that we keep vocal pressure on the President to execute the terms of our petition (which I urge you to sign) found at SmashTheFACE.life. It has been endorsed by most of the rescuers and calls upon Pres. Trump to:

• Grant full pardons to anyone convicted of violating FACE;

• Forbid the DOJ from investigating or prosecuting FACE for the duration of his term;

• Dismiss any federal employee who was involved in the investigation, arrest and prosecution of FACE defendants and forbid their rehire while he is President.

             … This will be Trump’s final term. He doesn’t have to worry about what voters think of him any more. He’s free to focus on the things he cares about, and it’s clear to me that fighting abortion is not one of those things. Having given us the Court that reversed Roe v. Wade, he considers his duty complete. Any further progress is not going to initiate from the White House. It’s going to come from you.

             Roe is gone, but abortion rates are rising again, and DIY chemical abortion is legal in every state (since moms who abort are legally immune). We’ve made zero progress convincing Americans that we’re right, and now we don’t even have an anti-abortion political party.

             By “you” I mean you, one of the millions of American citizens who recognize abortion as an unspeakable evil and wish someone would end it. That someone is you. You need to start doing all the simple, albeit personally costly, things necessary to reach your goal. You must realize that no person or group with a famous name, large bank account and lots of power is going to do the job for you.

             Some might be surprised that I haven’t sworn off rescues. This is because I sense that anti-abortion America needs some sort of focal point to rally around. Since 2013, I’ve been trying, through the Revelation 3:2* Project (GetSeriousChurch.com) to convince you that the solution lies in thousands of conversations and little acts of defiance (some of which might result in jail time) that all of us must continually make. I’ve been unsuccessful. But I hold out hope that, just maybe, knowing that some people are still rescuing and taking the consequences will overcome all fears [and] excuses and transform more of you into the champions preborn children both need and deserve.

             Four years is not long. They will be over before you know it. Considering the volatile, unpredictable nature of American politics, it’s entirely possible that by 2029 both Congress and the Presidency will be controlled by radical pro-aborts, and they will exploit the powerful federal deep-state (which we foolishly try to control instead of dismantle) to oppress anti-abortion activists while pushing for a nationwide right to abort. Such back and forth, tug-of-war nonsense must stop. The lives of innocent people are too important. … As someone who has tasted just a little bit of what unborn children suffer every day, I plead with you not to let the opportunity go to waste.

*Rev. 3:2: “Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.”

Senate Voting Record

Cloture to end debate on nomination of Catherine Henry as District Court Judge – Nov. 21, 2024 – Adopted 50-49 (needing 50) (Democrats in italics; new Senator in ALL CAPS)

Voting “no” / pro-life: Britt & Tuberville/AL; Murkowski & Sullivan/AK; Boozman & Cotton/AR; Rubio & Scott/FL; Crapo & Risch/ID; Braun & Young/IN; Ernst & Grassley/IA; Marshall & Moran/KS; McConnell & Paul/KY; Cassidy & Kennedy/LA; Collins/ME; Hyde-Smith & Wicker/MS; Hawley & Schmitt/MO; Daines/MT; Fischer & Ricketts/NE; Budd & Tillis/NC; Cramer & Hoeven/ND; Vance/OH; Lankford & Mullin/OK; Graham & Scott/SC; Rounds & Thune/SD; Blackburn & Hagerty/TN; Cornyn & Cruz/TX; Lee & Romney/UT; Capito/WV; Johnson/WI; Barrasso & Lummis/WY.

Voting “yes” / anti-Life: Kelly & Sinema(“I”)/AZ; Butler & Padilla/CA; Bennet & Hickenlooper/CO; Blumenthal & Murphy/CT; Carper & Coons/DE; Ossoff & Warnock/GA; Hirono & Schatz/HI; Duckworth & Durbin/IL; King(“I”)/ME; Cardin & VanHollen/MD; Markey & Warren/MA; Peters & Stabenow/MI; Klobuchar & Smith/MN; Tester/MT; Cortez-Masto & Rosen/NV; Hassan & Shaheen/NH; Booker & HELMY/NJ; Heinrich & Lujan/NM; Gillibrand & Schumer/NY; Brown/OH; Merkley & Wyden/OR; Casey & Fetterman/PA; Reed & Whitehouse/RI; Sanders(I) & Welch/VT; Kaine & Warner/VA; Cantwell & Murray/WA, Baldwin/WI.

Not voting: Manchin(I)/WV.