In three separate letters to President Trump, Secretary of State Pompeo and Secretary Azar, CWA CEO and President Penny Nance and our Vice President for International Affairs Dr. Shea Garrison send heart-felt thanks for their work to promote international religious freedom and defend life at the United Nations 74th General Assembly.
CWA Letter to Secretary of State Pompeo
The Trump Administration is exhibiting unprecedented international leadership from the United States on behalf of life at the 74th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The U.S. delegation’s message is cohesive and consistent from President Trump’s address to the UN General Assembly to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Azar’s statements on behalf of the U.S. Government and the joint statement by 21 nations on Universal Health Coverage.
Below are some quotes from these momentous addresses. Never before has the U.S. used its sway to promote life so strongly.
President Trump’s Address to the 74th UNGA:
Americans will never tire of defending innocent life. We are aware that many United Nations projects have attempted to assert a global right to taxpayer-funded abortion on demand, right up until the moment of delivery. Global bureaucrats have absolutely no business attacking the sovereignty of nations that wish to protect innocent life. Like many nations here today, we in America believe that every child, born and unborn, is a sacred gift from God.
HHS Secretary Azar:
U.S. Government Statement at the UN High Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage
Because we recognize that each nation has its own needs but shares the common goal of health, the United States deplores that some countries politicized the negotiation over this declaration by including language that has been used to promote abortion as healthcare and promote sex education that diminishes the protective role of the family in improving health.
This morning the United States was joined by 18 other nations, representing more than 1.3 billion of the world’s population, in issuing a joint statement respectfully calling on member states to join us in concentrating on topics that unite rather than divide on the critical issues surrounding access to healthcare.
We do not accept the terms “sexual and reproductive health” and “sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights” in this Declaration and note that only documents approved by the General Assembly may inform their understanding and implementation.
These terms must always include language, which some countries blocked, to remind U.N. agencies that each nation has the sovereign right to implement related programs and activities consistent with their laws and policies, and that these terms in no way imply that there is an international right to abortion.
Secretary Pompeo and Secretary Azar Joint Letter Results in 21 Countries Standing for Life:
The joint statement referenced above is the result of a joint letter by Secretary of State Pompeo and HHS Secretary Azar, the first of its kind, asking member nations to join with the United States in standing for life.
An excerpt of the July 2019 joint letter reads: The United States appreciates our longstanding partnership in many global health areas. As a key priority in global health promotion, we respectfully request that your government join the United States in ensuring that every sovereign state has the ability to determine the best way to protect the unborn and defend the family as the foundational unit of society vital to children thriving and leading healthy lives. We remain gravely concerned that aggressive efforts to reinterpret international instruments to create a new international right to abortion and to promote international policies that weaken the family have advanced through some United Nations fora…
Joint Statement on Universal Health Coverage at the UN:
Secretary Azar read the joint statement that resulted from the above letter. Thanks to the joint efforts of Secretary Pompeo and Secretary Azar, 18 nations joined the U.S. in a joint statement on Universal Health Coverage and a stance against abortion as an “international right”.
After hearing Sec. Azar, two more nations were moved to ask if they could join the joint statement, bringing the total number of countries to 21.
We are here before the opening of the High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage to present a joint statement, agreed to by 19 countries representing more than 1.3 billion people…
We believe that health of women, men, children and adolescents supports and improves the overall health of our families and communities, and that the family is the foundational institution of society and thus should be supported and strengthened…
We do not support references to ambiguous terms and expressions, such as sexual and reproductive health and rights in U.N. documents, because they can undermine the critical role of the family and promote practices, like abortion, in circumstances that do not enjoy international consensus and which can be misinterpreted by U.N. agencies.
Such terms do not adequately take into account the key role of the family in health and education, nor the sovereign right of nations to implement health policies according to their national context. There is no international right to an abortion and these terms should not be used to promote pro-abortion policies and measures.
Thank you, President Trump, Secretary Azar, and Secretary Pompeo for bringing life to the forefront of the U.S. UN delegation’s mission.
During our 40th Anniversary Gala, Dr. Beverly LaHaye describes how CWA came into existence in 1979 and Penny Nance discusses CWA’s impact on pro-life causes, conservative justices, and grassroots activism around the country.
Watch the entire piece here:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Toni DeLancey, Ph.D
September 12, 2019 [email protected] 202-527-3434
Washington, D.C. – Concerned Women for America (CWA), the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization, celebrated and honored 40 years promoting Biblical principles and pro-women policies today at the Trump International Hotel. The Honorable Mike Pence, Vice President of the United States and his wife, Karen, and the Honorable Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas attended and addressed the attendees at the Anniversary Gala. President Trump sent taped remarks to view during the festivities.
Founded by Dr. Beverly LaHaye in 1979, CWA has been instrumental in advocating for their seven core issues: Sanctity of Life, Defense of Family, Education, Religious Liberty, National Sovereignty, Sexual Exploitation, and Support for Israel.
“This event is so special for me and for Concerned Women for America,” Mrs. Beverly LaHaye said. “For CWA to continue to draw notable honored guests like our Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence, and his lovely wife, Karen, and Governor Mike Huckabee – is an indication of God’s continued favor over Concerned Women for America these last forty years. I am grateful for that favor and blessing; it has truly been the honor of my lifetime to lead CWA.”
The staff and grass roots volunteers of CWA are known on Capitol Hill and at state legislatures across the nation for their tenacity when it comes to protecting women, our children, and America’s future. They are never afraid to speak out, stand up, and make a national impact. Among recent notable accomplishments:
“In the last 40 years CWA has journeyed from a small but passionate group of activist women to a mighty army of amazing, accomplished women with enormous influence on our culture and government. We are now a formidable Washington institution. Today, we celebrate our grassroots leaders who are the power behind our organization and reason for our success. With the retirement of Mrs. Beverly LaHaye, who has served God faithfully, we’re marking the passing of the baton on the firm foundation from which she built this organization,” said Penny Nance, CEO and President. “As we move into the dawn of a new era here at CWA, we welcome Linda Murphy as Chairman of the Board and look forward with enthusiasm and passion to the future.”
Throughout the evening, notable guests including senators and former officials and friends honored the accomplishments and work of CWA. For an overview of the heart of Concerned Women for America, see the below photos and watch the linked video.
See Photos of CWA through the years.
See News Stories from the Event from Daily Caller and The Washington Examiner, Western Journal, and see C-SPAN’s coverage of the Vice President’s Remarks.
Read Vice President Pence’s Remarks from the White House Transcript.
Images from the event:
CWA CEO and President Penny Nance spoke with Patrick Hussion about the impact of elections on women’s lives and what is important to women voters.
CWA’s Senior Director of Government Relations, Doreen Denny, wrote an op-ed featured on FoxNews.com about Planned Parenthood’s recent decision.
“Planned Parenthood claims it was “forced out” of the federal Title X family planning program by the Trump administration. Hardly. The choice to exit was Planned Parenthood’s alone.
Title X is the federal program that provides access to contraceptive services, supplies and information. Priority goes to serving low-income individuals.
When the law was enacted in 1970, Congress prohibited funds from going to promote or perform abortion as a “method of family planning.” That requirement has never changed.
Rules prohibiting abortion were bent and unenforced under previous administrations. President Trump determined to realign Title X regulations to uphold federal law. The new rules were finalized in March after a public comment period that gave Americans the chance to weigh in.”
CWA’s Senior Director of Government Relations, Doreen Denny, was featured on NPR discussing Planned Parenthood’s withdrawal from Title X family planning program.
“Planned Parenthood is leaving the federal Title X family planning program rather than comply with new Trump administration rules regarding abortion counseling.
The new rules issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services earlier this year prohibit Title X grantees from providing or referring patients for abortion, except in cases of rape, incest or medical emergency.”
WASHINGTON, DC – On Monday, August 19, 2019, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services must receive plans from Title X grantees, including Planned Parenthood, proving how they will comply with new rules to uphold long-standing federal law. These rules require full financial and physical separation of Title X funds from abortion services and bar abortion referrals in order to fulfill Congressional intent prohibiting abortion as “a method of family planning.” The rules also require grantees to report any evidence of sexual abuse or sex trafficking in accordance with state law, rules that are needed to combat documented cases of Planned Parenthood’s complicit actions shielding sexual abuse and sex traffickers.
Doreen Denny, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee’s Senior Director of Government Relations, responded to Planned Parenthood’s high-profile threat to pull out of the Title X program barring a court-ordered injunction:
“Planned Parenthood has no entitlement to federal funding, and they apparently have no plans to comply with federal rules either. For years, Planned Parenthood has skirted federal law to promote its abortion business on the backs of the American taxpayer. If Planned Parenthood truly cared about promoting health, it would stop peddling abortion and start supporting women. Planned Parenthood’s threat to withdraw from the Title X program proves one thing: health care is not their primary business; abortion is. The choice to comply is in Planned Parenthood’s court, not the Ninth Circuit’s.”
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CWA’s National Coordinator for Young Women for America (YWA), Kelsey Good, was interviewed by One News Now about a recent article in Teen Vogue.
“A teen magazine known for its outrageous left-wing articles is at it again but a family advocacy group says parents are ultimately responsible for pushing back.
OneNewsNow has reported how Teen Vogue is seemingly obsessed with promoting abortion to impressionable teen girls, and the latest abortion apologetics story advises them on how to hide a life-altering abortion from their parents.”
Eighty! That’s how many times House Republicans have asked Speaker Pelosi to bring the Born Alive Abortion Survivor’s Protection Act up for a vote on the House floor. #LetUsVote and #EndInfanticide have been the social media rallying cry for supporters seeking to protect the unborn – and the born.
This bill, H.R. 962, merely requires, under criminal penalty, that medical professionals provide the same standard of care to a baby born alive after an attempted abortion that they would provide any other child born at the same gestational age. Doctors who allow babies to die without such care are committing nothing short of infanticide. Many Americans were horrified by the words of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam early this year who made statements on a public radio broadcast defending the practice of neglecting a baby born alive in order to end her life.
Eighty-two percent of Americans support this legislation, including 77% who identify as pro-choice – yet Speaker Pelosi continues to block this potentially life-saving legislation. So far, we have 201 signatures on the House discharge petition, a way to force a bill to the floor that is otherwise being blocked by the Speaker. We need a simple majority of the House of Representatives (218) to sign this petition. We are currently 17 signatures short of the number needed to trigger a vote. Meanwhile, members keep asking for unanimous consent to bring the bill to the floor for a vote every day they are in session.
The House and Senate are now in recess for the next six weeks, meaning your representatives will be home holding town halls and going to events to listen to the concerns of their constituents. We are working hard to bring the Born Alive bill to the floor for a vote, but we need your help. If your representative has not signed the discharge petition, go to one of their town halls this August and ask them why they have not signed it. To find out if your representative is holding a town hall near you, visit their website and look for events or call their office and ask if they are holding a town hall in August.
Also, join us on Monday, August 5, on Twitter from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EST for a Tweetfest where we will talk about the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act and why it is so necessary. Tweet @ your representatives (click here to find their official Twitter handle) and ask them to sign. Tweet at @SpeakerPelosi and tell her you want this bill on the floor for a vote. Use the hashtags #LetUsVote and #EndInfanticide and make sure you’re following CWA LAC’s official Twitter account, @CWforA, and retweet our tweets and tag us in your tweets so we can retweet you, too!
Thank you for partnering with us to keep pressure on Congress to end infanticide.
In this episode, Mario Diaz, Esq., Concerned Women for America’s (CWA) General Counsel, discusses a recent Supreme Court decision where Justice Clarence Thomas exposes the clear connection between abortion and eugenics. He said, “Abortion is an act rife with the potential for eugenic manipulation.”
The case is Box v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, and you won’t want to miss our discussion of its potential impact and what it means for the protection of the unborn.
Earlier this week, we had a huge victory surrounding the Title X program and a finalized rule we asked for your help generating comments on last summer. Yet again, we have the opportunity to back up the good work that President Trump is doing through the official rulemaking process.
Last month, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a proposed rule surrounding section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This rule rolls back previous action taken by President Obama that wrongfully interpreted the word “sex” to include “gender identity” and “termination of pregnancy” and prohibited so-called discrimination against these classes. This means that doctors who do not want to perform gender transition treatments would be forced to and doctors who don’t want to participate in abortions would be forced to participate, even if they have objections on moral or religious grounds.
This new rule clarifies that Section 1557 of the ACA cannot force a recipient of federal funding to provide or pay for an abortion. It will also be consistent with the First Amendment, the intent and language of civil rights laws, and consistent with pro-life provisions, conscience provisions, and religious liberty protections in current law. This rule is a timely clarification that the federal definition of sex discrimination in the ACA does not include abortion or gender transition treatments and thus aligns with existing civil rights laws. For many healthcare providers, performing abortions or gender transition treatments is a violation of conscience and sound medical practice.
We need your help commenting on this proposed rule so that it will move forward. You may remember that these proposed rules go through a public comment period, and then the issuing agency has to take public comments into account crafting a final rule. President Trump needs you to submit a comment praising this rule. Although these Obama-era rules never went into effect, HHS needs to uphold the biological definition of sex in civil rights laws. This proposed rule is now open for a public comment period that will close on August 13, 2019. After the comment period closes, HHS must then review each comment and issue a final ruling based on feedback. Therefore, our voice on this matter is crucial.
Not sure what to say? We’ve made it easy for you! Click here to be taken to a page where we further explain what this rule is, provide a sample comment, and a place for personalization. You can submit an official comment with just one click!
Please join us and use your voice to tell President Trump to continue to protect religious liberty!
Washington, D.C. – Earlier this week, the Trump Administration announced that restrictions over abortion-referrals and over clinics receiving federal funding will take effect and be enforced by Health and Human Services (HHS). Family planning clinics will no longer be allowed to provide abortion referrals and must be financially separate from any provision of abortion procedures. HHS is now finally free to carry out the will of the people who overwhelmingly support a clear separation between taxpayer dollars and abortion advocacy.
Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America (CWA), the largest public policy organization for women in the country had this to say:
“This is a day to celebrate life-affirming policies and the rule of law. For way too long, abortion advocates have relied on activist judges to carry out their bidding, despite the many situations when the letter of the law clearly expressed the American people’s desire to promote the intrinsic value and respect of every human life. They tried that in this case again and delayed the implementation of these common sense rules through misplaced and overreaching nationwide injunctions that prevented HHS from doing its job. But they have failed. And failed even in one of the most liberal courts in the land, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
“President Donald J. Trump’s unwavering commitment to the protection of human life and his focus on constitutional judges who follow the law, instead of promoting personal policy preferences through judicial opinions, shines brightly as we contemplate this victory.
“The consensus-building principle of prohibiting taxpayer funded abortion has enjoyed overwhelming bi-partisan support over the years. But abortion advocates continue to grow increasingly radical in their positions, and liberals in Congress have sadly fallen right in line with the idea of forcing Americans to pay for abortion-related services, even when they have moral, religious or philosophical objections to it.
“Conservative women all over the country are grateful to the President for his leadership and applaud the men and women of HHS for their steady commitment to the enforcement of these rules to ensure statutory compliance with the law.”
Click here to see Penny Nance’s Statement on the death of Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.
Concerned Women for America CEO and President, Penny Nance wrote the following opinion piece featured on FoxNews.com in response to a recent story out of the United Kingdom. The story is about a mother who is suing the hospital four years after the birth of her son, saying she would have aborted him if she had been informed of his disability.
“At just 23-years of age, John Cronin recently won the “EY Entrepreneur of the Year” award for his co-founding of the company, “John’s Crazy Socks.” After his award, he appeared on numerous television shows and was featured in online news stories telling the world he is an “entrepreneur, a philanthropist, and a businessman.”
Sujeet Desai is a musician who plays seven instruments including the violin, piano, trumpet, and saxophone. He has been featured in several national publications and has received numerous awards for his work.
John and Sujeet both have Down syndrome. They are successful, happy, and productive, and they bring incredible joy to their family and friends. They are shining examples of the value a person living with this disability can bring to the world.
In a story out of the United Kingdom last week, we learned that the mother of a 4-year-old little boy with Down syndrome is suing her doctors telling the world she would certainly have aborted her child had her doctors informed her he had Down syndrome.”
CWA’s Senior Director of Government Relations, Doreen Denny, penned the following opinion piece featured on The Daily Signal:
“As more states pass restrictions on abortion, companies are coming out of the woodwork to oppose them.
Recently, some 180 companies “employing more than 108,000 workers” purchased a full-page ad in The New York Times under the banner “Don’t Ban Equality: It’s time for companies to stand up for reproductive health care.”
Translation: It’s time for businesses to defend abortion.
Many of these companies aren’t typically considered far-left organizations. Exactly what message are they sending to women by spending ad dollars to promote abortion? Are they saying babies are bad for business?
A closer look at these companies may help to unmask what’s driving this ad.
It turns out that only two of them are listed among the top 180 companies offering the most paid maternity leave to women, according to Fairygodboss, a women’s career advancement network. And those two companies are nowhere near the top of the list.
In other words, these companies are stingy. They aren’t supporting women; they’re protecting their bottom line.”
Penny Nance penned the following opinion piece for FoxNews.com:
Remember these statements by Democrats seeking to become their party’s presidential nominee?
“I believe that reproductive rights are human rights, they are civil rights, and they are non-negotiable,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York said in an interview with The Atlantic earlier this month.
“We must be vigilant in protecting a woman’s right to choose,” Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said on Twitter in January.
“… now more than ever, we must remain steadfast in our defense of a woman’s right to choose,” Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii said in a statement on the 40th anniversary of the landmark 1973 Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision the legalized abortion nationwide.
The Democratic presidential candidates want everyone to know they support abortion. They call this “choice” – which indicates a decision a woman makes about whether to have an abortion or have a baby. Many are now calling this choice a reproductive, human and civil right.
But not really.
Where were the Democratic presidential hopefuls when a British judge recently ruled that a mentally disabled woman in her 20s with the mental age of a child between ages 6 and 9 must undergo a forced abortion against her will and against her mother’s will? The judge cited the pregnant woman’s “best interests” and determined the pregnancy termination was “the best option.”
In this episode, Mario Diaz, Esq., Concerned Women for America’s (CWA) General Counsel, discusses a recent Supreme Court decision where Justice Clarence Thomas exposes the clear connection between abortion and eugenics. He said, “abortion is an act rife with the potential for eugenic manipulation.” The case is Box v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky and you won’t want to miss our discussion of its potential impact and what it means for the protection of the unborn.
For more on this case, read Mario’s op-ed “Clarence Thomas Speaks the Truth for SCOTUS on Abortion” as featured on American Thinker.
CEO and President Penny Nance is featured in The Western Journal along with other top faith leaders such as Franklin Graham, Tony Perkins and Gary Bauer.
“Some of the nation’s top Christian leaders believe President Donald Trump will once again enjoy the strong backing of evangelicals in 2020, noting he now has a record, and not just promises, to run on.
The Western Journal spoke with Rev. Franklin Graham, Family Research Council president Tony Perkins, Concerned Women for America president Penny Nance, American Values president Gary Bauer and Christian Broadcasting Network chief political analyst David Brody to gauge their views on why Trump enjoyed such strong evangelical support in 2016, and how he looks with these voters going into the 2020 election.”
There is a new level of hostility by the ruling class toward people in this nation, even women and minorities, who dare to believe in the intrinsic value of human life and thus identify as pro-life.
The left is losing the 46-year argument on the federalization of abortion laws, and it has made them angry and reckless.
They are now publicly equating our support for life to racism. It’s insidious and bigoted, but it’s also self-destructive.
On the political front, during an interview with the Des Moines Register “Gillibrand Compares Pro-Life Viewpoint to Racism, ‘Not Acceptable’, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., was clear in her racist allegations against pro-lifers on Tuesday.
Gillibrand said, “I think there’s some issues that have such moral clarity that we have as a society decided that the other side is not acceptable. Imagine saying that it’s okay to appoint a judge who’s racist or anti-Semitic or homophobic. Asking someone to appoint someone who takes away basic human rights of any group of people in America—I don’t think that those are political issues anymore.”
Click here to read the rest of this story as featured on FoxNews.com.
