John Gerardi, Executive Director
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Donald Trump’s victory was one of the most surprising upsets in the history of American politics. Among its broad-ranging political ramifications, Mr. Trump’s election will have a profound impact upon the pro-life movement in this country. It is necessary to address what it means for those committed to the defense of human life here in Central California.
If he follows through on his campaign commitments, Mr. Trump’s presidency can result in significant victories for the pro-life movement. First and foremost, Mr. Trump has committed to appoint federal judges who will be conservative jurists likely to overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. This includes at least one Supreme Court Justice, and possibly more. Overturning Roe and Casey are necessary for the pro-life movement to enact further restrictions on legalized abortion at the state and federal levels.
Mr. Trump can now work with a Republican-controlled Congress to pass important legislation to defend human life. For example, he has made commitments to remove all federal funding from Planned Parenthood, which could eliminate $500 million of Medicaid funding from their annual budget. He committed to make the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits all federal funding for abortion, permanent law. He can sign legislation like the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, to outlaw abortion for any child who can feel pain.
As soon as he takes office, he can also overturn a number of pro-choice executive orders from the Obama Administration. He can repeal the Obamacare mandate requiring employers to cover abortifacient contraception in their insurance plans, he can prohibit abortions from taking place in military hospitals, he can cut off federal funding for embryo-destructive stem cell research, and he can cut off funding for foreign NGO’s that perform abortions. This could result in thousands of lives saved, and he can do all of this with a stroke of his pen.
There are even things he can do to help those of us in pro-choice California. Most critically, he can prohibit the state of California from requiring that all health insurance plans include abortion coverage. California state regulators enacted this rule in direct violation of existing federal law, which the Obama Administration has deliberately neglected to enforce. The Trump Justice Department could sue the state of California in federal court to strike down these regulations.
Right to Life of Central California, as a non-profit, does not endorse any political candidate. Nevertheless, Mr. Trump’s election does represent a critical, precious opportunity for the pro-life movement. If he does what he has committed to do, he can enact the kinds of legal protections necessary to save thousands upon thousands of unborn children. We at Right to Life are grateful to God for this unexpected and rare chance, and we pray it is not squandered.