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abortion Archives – Concerned Women for America

Latest on the Chemical Abortion Case

By | LBB, News and Events, Sanctity of Life, SCOTUS | No Comments

Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration

 

Update: This evening, the U.S. Supreme Court granted a stay of the lower court’s orders to constrain the distribution of abortion drugs while the case continues on appeal at the Fifth Circuit. The Court as a whole decided to allow the drug to continue for now. Concerned Women for America (CWA) CEO & President Penny Nance criticized the ruling saying, “The law is clear, so we are confident of our ultimate victory. The FDA’s reckless disregard for women’s safety in the rushed approval of the abortion drug for political purposes will be exposed. But we are deeply saddened to see the Court ignore the untold number of women who will be at risk because the FDA decided to lower the standards of care to promote abortion to an ever-increasing number of women.” Justice Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented both saying they would have denied the stay. Justice Thomas did not explain his reasoning further, but Justice Alito said plainly, “At present, the applicants are not entitled to a stay because they have not shown that they are likely to suffer irreparable harm in the interim.” The case will continue in the Fifth Circuit where we hope the stay will once again be issued, which will virtually guarantee the U.S. Supreme Court will get an appeal once again. The court is scheduled to consider the matter on May 17, 2023.

 

Yesterday, the United States Supreme Court extended its previous order halting until this Friday the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals stay, limiting the distribution of the abortion drug while the case challenging its original approval continues. This means the life-ending drug is still available in an expanded fashion (even through the mail), as the Biden Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Department of Justice (DOJ) have been promoting using the COVID-19 emergency as their excuse.

 

The move suggests the Court is taking the matter seriously and needs more time before rendering a decision. Check back here on Friday for the latest developments on this important fight. We pray this added time gives the Court time to study the corrupted history of approving this unsafe drug more carefully.

 

The FDA approved the pill under its accelerated approval program, created in the early 1990s, to speed access to the first HIV drugs. It has been used to expedite drugs for cancer and other “serious or life-threatening diseases.” But pregnancy is not a disease. Still, the FDA chose to look at it as such to accomplish its political goals.

 

Beyond the initial approval, the FDA has removed the most basic standards of care for women’s safety. They increased the gestational age for which a pregnant woman can take chemical abortion drugs; they changed the dosage, significantly reduced the number of required in-person visits, and even allowed non-doctors to prescribe and administer chemical abortions, in addition to other changes. More recently, they’re promoting the distribution of this dangerous drug through the mail in violation of federal law.

 

That is one of the reasons why the district court granted a stay to the FDA’s reckless approval, halting its distribution while the case moves forward. The district court simply noted the very text of the Comstock Act prohibits the mailing of chemical abortions, and DOJ cannot amend it with a simple judicial opinion.

 

Beyond that, the court concluded the FDA’s actions in approving this drug likely violated the Administrative Procedures Act as “arbitrary and capricious.” There are many reasons for this. In its original approval in 2000, the FDA initially proposed significant restrictions on the drugs to the manufacturer in private. Once the restrictions were leaked, the company rejected them, and political pressure mounted to the point that the FDA abandoned them completely, despite its “serious reservations” about mifepristone’s safety. The data supported the FDA’s concerns, but it ignored them for political, not scientific, reasons.

 

The FDA then doubled down on its reckless disregard for women’s safety in 2016 when it further loosened the safety requirements on the drugs based on little to no data. It used studies using the safety requirements they were abandoning to justify the same action of removing them.

 

Similarly, at this point, the FDA abandoned requirements for reporting non-fatal adverse events. This is a significant event because, in further loosening restrictions in 2021, it cited the lack of non-fatal adverse events as an indication that the drug is safe. Again, both the district and appellate courts noted this in restricting the FDA’s actions. The Fifth Circuit said, “This ostrich’s -head-in-the-sand approach is deeply troubling….” The district court put it this way, “[I]t is circular and self-serving to practically eliminate an ‘adverse event’ reporting requirement and then point to a low number of ‘adverse events’ as a justification for removing even more restrictions than were already omitted in 2000 and 2016.”

 

Both courts also noted as troubling the fact that this drug has never been tested for under-18 girls, while it is being increasingly made available to them as “safe.” Based on no evidence at all.

 

For these and many other reasons, it is not unreasonable to ask the FDA to do its job and ensure this drug is safe by following its regular protocols before it promotes it as safe for women to use regularly, without knowing the long-term effects on women’s health, especially in the case of young women.

 

The appellate court limited its stay to the expansions after the initial approval because of a statute of limitation that prevents the challenge of FDA procedures after six years, but the court will review whether, as the district court concluded, it was the FDA’s own actions that prevented timely review. Once again, the FDA wants to profit from the events it created by delaying the administrative challenge of the doctors who are suing to protect women’s safety in this case.

 

The doctors are being represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). And Concerned Women for America has submitted a brief supporting their arguments on behalf of conservative women around the country.

 

Please continue to pray for justice in this case. Though the case is now before the U.S. Supreme Court, they will only review whether the drug will be available and to what extent while the case moves forward. Eventually, the full review of the FDA’s actions will be done by the district court, and challenges are sure to follow.

 

It will be a long process, but one well worth our involvement as we stand for life and women’s safety in a post-Roe world.

Abortion Drug is Not “Safe and Effective”

By | News and Events, Press Releases, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

For Immediate Release
April 12, 2023

Contact:  CWA Communications Team
comms@cwfa.org

MEDIA ADVISORY:

Abortion Drug is Not "Safe and Effective"

FDA’s removal of safety precautions on mifepristone violates original approval standards  

Washington, D.C. – On Friday, April 7, Texas Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk blocked the Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of the abortion drug Mifepristone because of the FDA’s removal of safety precautions and medical protocols, making it less safe and dangerous for women to take and undermining its legal obligation to protect women’s health, safety, and welfare.

 

Mifepristone is used to terminate a pregnancy up to ten weeks, but the lack of medical oversight and access to emergency medical assistance can be fatal to young women taking it alone and late in pregnancy. This drug blocks the mother’s natural production of “progesterone” for her child, cutting off blood and nourishment to the baby. The unborn child begins to starve to death. Between 24-48 hours later, the woman takes Misoprostol which causes the mother to contract and bleed to force the child out of the womb.

 

“Let’s be clear; there is nothing safe or effective about allowing people to perform their own DIY abortion,” said Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America, the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization. “Approval of this drug would allow anyone anywhere to have an abortion without any in-person medical supervision, reliable in-person safeguards and checks, and without a routine medical examination.”

 

“The medical community has had concerns over these drugs for years as the FDA cut corners, ignored safety concerns, fast-tracked, and politicized the process when they approved mifepristone.”

 

The plaintiffs in this case, including the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine and other groups of doctors and national medical associations oppose the removal of safety precautions about this drug including that since 2021, it can be sent through the mail in clear violation of federal law.

 

“The FDA is not following its own standards and needs to answer for their reckless disregard for the women who take this drug,” continued Nance. “Young women taking an abortion pill alone in their room with no medical supervision and access to medical care if there are complications is not a ” ‘safe and effective’ drug but can be fatal.

 

“Americans who are concerned for the safety and well-being of young women should be grateful that this judge had the courage to make this decision. And Republicans who claim to be pro-life should be taking this issue head on and clearly articulating that protecting the lives of women is one of their highest priorities.”

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Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC) is the legislation and advocacy arm of Concerned Women for America. Concerned Women for America is the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization with a rich 40-year history of helping our members across the country bring Biblical principles into all levels of public policy.

Tell Alexandria City Council: No Fast Track Approval for Abortion Clinics

By | Virginia | No Comments

If you live in Alexandria, Virginia, please read, act, and pray!

 

On June 28, 2022, Alexandria City Council adopted Resolution #3087, which directed Alexandria city officials to conduct a review of land-use regulations “to ensure unfettered administrative approval in any commercial or mixed-use zone” for abortion clinics in the City of Alexandria.

 

This Saturday, April 15, 2023, the Alexandria City Council will hold a hearing on the results of that review: Zoning Text Amendment #2023-00002, which will provide unfettered administrative approval for abortion clinics in the City of Alexandria. Read the Amendment text here and the staff report here.

 

If passed, abortion clinics will get a fast track to set up as a health profession office or medical care facility in areas zoned for commercial and mixed-use properties.

 

Urgent Action is Needed TODAY!

Contact the Alexandria City Council and express your strong opposition to the Amendment.

 

 

You can also use the online contact form or call 703-746-4500.

 

If you have Twitter, send a message to the City of Alexandria about your opposition here.

 

Talking Points:

  • I am a (resident of/employee of a company based in) the City of Alexandria.
  • I strongly oppose Zoning Text Amendment #2023-00002.
  • The Amendment wants to remove licensing requirements for zoning decisions about abortion clinics, which is disturbing given the gruesome practices of abortion provider Dr. Ulrich Klopfer in Indiana and the racist, deadly practices of abortion provider and murderer Dr. Kermit Gosnell in Pennsylvania.
  • The Amendment prioritizes abortion clinics in zoning and at the expense of real healthcare by striking references in the Zoning Ordinance to offices and facilities that provide nursing, birthing services, medicine, dentistry, psychiatry, psychology, substance abuse programs, medical schools, medical and physical rehabilitation, trauma units, diagnostic imaging, radiation therapy, and more.
  • I support real healthcare, not practices harmful for women who obtain abortions and the unborn children who are killed.

 

If you are interested in attending the meeting or providing public comment at the meeting, find more information about the April 15 City Council meeting here and consider coordinating with the Virginia Catholic Conference at office@vacatholic.org.

 

Elections matter. The next local elections are in 2024. Stay up to date on local election activity at https://www.alexandriava.gov/Elections.

 

Teresa Pregnall
State Director

CWA Stands Against the FDA’s Reckless Push for Chemical Abortion Drugs

By | Briefs, Legal, News and Events, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

Concerned Women for America (CWA) submitted an important amicus (friend of the court) brief in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This case, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, challenges the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) decision to legalize a dangerous chemical abortion regimen that includes two drugs: mifepristone and misoprostol.

 

The FDA abused its authority with the approval of these dangerous drugs, undermining its legal obligation to protect women’s health, safety, and welfare. This regimen is likely to cause more harm and complications for women than a surgical abortion would. Worse yet, following its initial approval, the FDA has removed the most basic standards of care by increasing the gestational age for which a pregnant woman can take chemical abortion drugs, changing the dosage, significantly reducing the number of required in-person visits, and even allowing non-doctors to prescribe and administer chemical abortions, among other things.

 

CWA argues in our legal brief that liberal, pro-abortion policies and not science are behind the FDA’s push to increase the availability of these dangerous drugs. We write:

 

The public deserves better than the current rush to experiment with chemical abortions on American women. The charge the public has placed on the FDA should be guarded in law to protect the public trust that is crucial to the proper function of our public institutions. Scientific advancement and research are not driving chemical abortion policy. Politics drives it. An apparent effort to undermine the United State Supreme Court’s recent acknowledgment that there is no constitutional right to an abortion is driving it. The U.S. Supreme Court’s determination in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, 142 S. Ct. 2228 (2022), has allowed states to enact laws protecting the unborn at different stages of development. The Biden Administration and its supporters do not like that and have therefore been aggressively pushing to promulgate abortifacients to circumvent these duly enacted state laws. Lost in that urge though are the seriously increased risks for women utilizing these drugs under waning supervision.

 

The Plaintiffs standing for the safety of women include the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, the American Association of Pro-life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Pediatricians, and the Christian Medical & Dental Association, among others, which the Alliance Defending Freedom represents.

 

CWA is asking the Court to grant the Plaintiff’s motion for a preliminary injunction preventing the FDA from continuing its reckless approval of the widespread distribution of these dangerous drugs immediately and to ultimately rule on the side of the safety and welfare of women by making that injunction permanent.

 

We argue that the public interest in this case weighs heavily against the FDA’s actions which further erode the public’s trust in this crucial health institution. We remind the Court that a recent survey found that only four in ten Americans are confident of the information they receive from the FDA—a disastrous development for women’s health and safety. “[I]t is decisions such as this one relating to the approval and promotion of chemical abortion drugs that appear to be driven by politics rather than scientific advancement that contribute to this state and further aggravate the distrust. It ultimately puts women’s lives at greater risk,” we argue.

 

Click here to read our brief, and pray for a favorable hearing and ultimate outcome.

Stand on Principle and Win

By | LBB, News and Events, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

To achieve political victory by deceiving the public about who you are and what you will do once in office is no victory at all. It will not be a win for the candidate who will be eventually exposed as a fraud once elected, and in such a case, it is no win for the people who will be left suffering the consequences of policies they did not really want.

 

And the truth is that, usually, people can detect and will be attracted to authenticity. But, more important yet, a battle-tested leader who stands by his convictions in support of American families is nearly impossible to beat.

 

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ overwhelming victory in Florida is an excellent example of this longstanding principle…

 

Click here to read the rest of Mario’s exclusive Substack column. And be sure to subscribe below to never miss one of his posts again!

Biden Admin Uses VA to Provide Abortion-On-Demand

By | Legislative Updates, News and Events, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

Biden Admin Uses the Department of Veterans Affairs
to Provide Abortion-On-Demand, No Conscience Protections

 

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is comprised of 171 medical centers and 1,113 outpatient clinics. It is the largest integrated healthcare network in the world. Sadly, the Biden Administration has used its power to co-opt these facilities under the guise of “medical necessity” for the abortion industry. The action, known as an “interim final rule,” cut procedural corners and effective immediately allowed abortion-on-demand and abortion counseling at VA facilities. There are no clear conscience protections for VA health professionals with objections to abortion.

 

The rule is a 180-degree reversal in VA policy that only allowed abortions in the tragic cases of rape, incest, and an immediate physical threat to the life of the mother. The rule is also contrary to law. During the opportunity for public comment, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC) declared its opposition to the rule. Read CWALAC’s public comment opposing the rule here.

 

A baby has already been killed under this cruel ploy to violate clear-cut, pro-life protections in law. Not only that, but the Administration wants Americans to pay for it. Taxpayers will be on the hook for over $10 million to provide veterans and their beneficiaries with elective abortions, abortion counseling services, and abortion travel.

 

The VA asserts that “allowing even one preventable death” is unacceptable. This is tragically ironic. For many Americans, the intentional killing of a baby in the womb, which is what happens in an abortion, is not healthcare and should not be classified as such. All states with laws to protect life include exceptions for the life of the mother.

The right of conscience is an inalienable right given by God and protected from government overreach. At the very least, the rule should have explicitly protected employees with faith- or conscience-based objections to abortion. We cannot count on the Biden Administration to protect their rights. Without clear exemptions, pro-life employees could face a bureaucratic nightmare that can take years before actually obtaining recourse.

 

Veterans who need help for their service-connected injuries deserve it. Unfortunately, the Biden Administration has done little more than turn veterans and their beneficiaries into a campaign prop for a radical, pro-abortion agenda. This rule is yet another sad example of the Administration’s unrestrained and ruthless quest for abortion-on-demand.

DOJ Politicization Adding to the Obliteration of Public Confidence in the Rule of Law

By | LBB, Legal, News and Events, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

“Eleven Charged With FACE Act Violations Stemming From 2021 Blockade of Mount Juliet Reproductive Health Clinic,” read the Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee press release. Translation: The U.S. Department of Justice uses law enforcement to harass the Biden Administration’s political adversaries. They see it all as part of their vengeful crusade to protect “reproductive rights” after the overturn of Roe v. Wade.

 

The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin from the Middle District of Tennessee and Kristen M. Clarke, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. Clarke is a pro-abortion radical who testified in Congress in 2020 for the codification of a “Constitutional right to abortion.” She believes, “The right to reproductive care, including abortion care, is inextricably intertwined with the ability of women to attain upward mobility …” and that “limits on access to abortion are not just a reproductive rights issue, but a matter that squarely threatens to undermine racial justice, and that necessitates federal legislation.”

 

Naturally, President Joe Biden selected Clarke in 2021 to head the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, ensuring this sort of unjust, politically motivated actions against the Administration’s political opponents would materialize.

 

Meanwhile, DOJ continues to ignore the numerous attacks on pro-life clinics and churches since the Dobbs decision. You might recall CWA was itself vandalized.

 

The pro-life activists were charged under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act under an indictment that “alleges that, beginning in February 2021, Chester Gallagher utilized social media to promote a series of anti-abortion events scheduled for March 4-7, 2021, in the Nashville area.” DOJ announced, “If convicted, those charged with conspiracy face up to 11 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000.”

 

As if that were not shameful enough, the politicized department proudly announced that “This case was investigated by the FBI,” which has come under unprecedented disrepute following its disgraceful mishandling of numerous cases. From the Larry Nassar case, where the victim’s families are seeking $130 million for their reckless and cruel mishandling of that case, to the Epstein fiasco, where Ghislaine Maxwell received 20 years in prison for trafficking underage girls to apparently no one because they continue to protect and ignore the “clients” of the dastardly affair to the unprecedented and utterly political search of former President Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago, the FBI has unfortunately lost all credibility.

 

And DOJ has been working similarly alongside them. The adverse consequences of these developments cannot be overstated. Thanks to these blatant abuses, millions of Americans feel there are two systems of justice, one for friends of those in power and one for the rest of the country. They are destroying one of the principles that is foundational to our freedoms. John Adams said it best when he described our republic as “a government of laws, not of men.” This is foundational to justice.

 

The DOJ and FBI’s current despicable behavior reinforces a belief that what matters is not the law but the personnel enforcing it, that the law will be twisted to fit the outcomes they want.

 

The charges against these pro-life advocates are ridiculous. At a time when we face so many challenges in law enforcement, why would they spend the resources on this type of action? Well, it is evident that it is meant to deter pro-life advocacy going forward. Pro-life, pro-family, freedom-loving Americans are being painted as a threat.

 

It is worth noting that these actions are not taken in a vacuum. Remember President Biden’s red-flaming speech flanked by two military members where he screamed about “MAGA Republicans”? Perhaps you recall the DOJ’s outrageous labeling of parents as “domestic terrorists.”

 

This mismanagement and abuse have been catastrophic. We must put an end to it now for the good of our country. Congress must engage even more forcefully. The damage being done will take decades to undo.

New “For Life” Bible Study

By | LBB, Publications, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

No one enjoys being told they are wrong. But this is precisely what we most need when we are blind to the fact that we are indeed wrong about something. The first step to walking away from error is to recognize we stand in one.

 

This is precisely where many in our society find themselves on the issue of life. And as famous pastor, theologian, and mentor of the great Martyn Lloyd-Jones, G. Campbell Morgan eloquently said, “There is one sure and infallible guide to truth, and therefore one, and only one, corrective for error, and that is the Word of God.”

 

That is why I am excited to bring you our “For Life” Bible study. Please stay tuned to ConcernedWomen.org for ordering details.

 

This powerful, error-exposing resource will transform the lives of its student. How can it not? It exposes those who dare wrinkle its pages to the pure, unfiltered, heart-penetrating, two-edged sword of the Scriptures, only asking questions to help the reader reflect on the truths explored. I implore you to engage with it yourself, become familiar with it, and then take the time to disciple others with it.

 

As with any other two-edged sword worthy of that warning, “handle with care,” it is best if someone unfamiliar with such a powerful weapon is helped along by someone with some mastery of the material. I am praying God will move you to become such a helper.

 

Remember Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts chapter 8? The eunuch was reading a passage from Isaiah by himself when Philip approached him and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading” (v.30)? To which he replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me” (v.31)? This study is undoubtedly powerful by itself. But when you teach it to someone else, a true miracle can happen. I pray that many of you will feel called by God to aid in this miraculous work. Would you help me pray for that?

 

I leave you with a short excerpt from Chapter 3, “In the Womb.”

 

Samson’s mother was also “childless, unable to give birth,” until an “angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, ’You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son.’” Judges 13:2-3. Scripture also tells us he was “dedicated to God from the womb.” Judges 13:5.

 

What does Samson being dedicated to God “from the womb” imply?

 

______________________________________________________

 

He was separated from the womb for a specific task. The angel said, “He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” Judges 13:5. What does that tell us?

 

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Sen. Graham’s Pro-Life Bill Will Save Lives, Align Federal Law with American Values

By | News and Events, Sanctity of Life, South Carolina | No Comments

For Immediate Release:                                                        Contact:  Comms@cwfa.org

September 14, 2022                                                                (703)282-7320

 

Washington, D.C.  –  Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC), the largest public policy women’s organization in the country, today announced its support of Senator Lindsey Graham’s (R-South Carolina) Protecting Pain-Capable Unborn Children from Late-Term Abortions Act. This bill will protect the unborn from abortion after fifteen weeks gestation.

 

“Life is a winning issue,” said CWALAC CEO and President, Penny Nance in a press conference with Senator Graham and other policy leaders.  “In today’s post-Roe America, we are finally allowed to have the conversation about what we as a society now know—by following the science—about fetal development. We can finally put into place stronger protections to stop destroying human life.”

 

“We saw abortion extremists show their true colors with so-called Women’s Health Protection Act, better named the Abortion-on-Demand Act. They pushed for taxpayer funded abortion up until the point of birth. This position is out of step with the American people. Unsurprisingly, that bill failed twice on the Senate floor. In a post-Roe poll in June, nearly three-fourths of respondents support a protection for the unborn at 15 weeks.

 

“Consistently, since 1973, around 70% of the American people have supported restrictions on abortion. Through advances in science, families and medical professionals are now able to understand that at fifteen weeks:

 

    • the baby can feel pain,
    • the baby can move her fully formed fingers and toes
    • the baby can suck her thumb
    • the baby has a fully developed heart pumping 26 quarts of blood per day.

 

“So, let’s make it clear to the Republican consultants and pollsters—the country knows what happens inside the womb. They know that life is precious.”

 

CWALAC encouraged other members of the United States Senate to lead with a winning issue for the American people.

 

To schedule an interview with Penny Nance, please contact comms@cwfa.org.

 

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Concerned Women for America is the Nation’s largest public policy organization for women; we are dedicated to promoting Biblical values and Constitutional principles. More information is available at concernedwomen.org

Who Will Stand for American Families?

By | Defense of Family, LBB, News and Events, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

Weak leadership in Washington is unnecessarily wreaking havoc on American families. At the same time President Joe Biden held a tone-deaf, high-class celebration of the passage of the crookedly titled “Inflation Reduction Act,” a dismal inflation report came out saying the consumer price index, a measurement of the price of everyday items such as groceries, rent and gasoline, rose more than expected, once again, to 8.3%. According to a recent analysis, Americans have to pay an extra $717 monthly due to “Bideinflation.”

 

And it is not just our pocketbooks that are hurting. The stress on parents and the entire household unit is almost unbearable. Our current situation is taking a toll on Americans’ mental health, especially for minorities. A recent LifeWorks Mental Health Index report revealed that “20 percent of Americans are unable to meet basic needs due to inflation.” It also found that those under such pressure “have a mental health score more than 16 points below the national average.”

 

But Washington is not focused on that; instead, the so-called Inflation Reduction Act will only further aggravate inflation by doling out billions for “green energy” special interest groups. Again, helping families is not the priority.

 

In the middle of all this, Senate Democrats took time to try to pass radical pro-abortion legislation to force the gruesome procedure on the nation up to the point of birth — something most Americans oppose. The latest Knights of Columbus/Marist Poll tracking the issue shows 71% of Americans support legal limits on abortion, with a whopping 81% believing laws can protect both the mother and her unborn child.

 

Americans want laws that support hard-working families—fathers, mothers, and children. Many in Washington seem insistent on destroying the American household.

 

It is not just Democrats going along with this cruel, unfocused legislative agenda. Some House Republicans let themselves be used recently to pass what should be called the (Dis)Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 8404) on a 267-157 vote. This anti-family legislation has become a top priority for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York), even though it is entirely unnecessary. The pernicious act seeks to further erode the American family unit by destroying its very definition.  This radical law would force the acceptance of any definition of “marriage” sought by any state. Plural marriages, open marriages, marriages involving minors or relatives, literally any definition adopted anywhere in one state. Considering the extent of the radical gender ideology permeating our culture today, there is no limiting principle here.

 

The impact on federal and state law would be seismic. All laws relating to husbands and wives, children and parents would suddenly be up for reinterpretation. The law will open the door for radical activist groups to sue religious individuals, organizations and businesses that the Left knows will seek to abide by the original meaning of marriage as established by God. Religious families and organizations, which are such a stabilizing force in our nation, and desperately needed in such times as these, are continually being held out for special contempt and primed for special interest attacks under legislation such as this one. Who will stand up for these families?

 

Sen. Schumer says he will force a vote “in coming weeks.” Word on Capitol Hill is that he may try to move on it as early as next week. All senators should stand against it and instead demand the sort of family-supporting legislation that can alleviate the current burdens on American families.

 

Of course, the upcoming election is the backdrop to all this shameful political gamesmanship. The goal is to manipulate the American people into voting against their own interests by scaring them with lies about Christian, conservative principles. I remember this summer standing outside the Supreme Court in defense of the Texas heartbeat law and fielding the arguments that “Women will die” if the law goes into effect. All lies meant to manipulate the unsuspecting public. Yet, a year later, estimates are that more than fifty thousand babies have been saved from abortion, and no woman has died as a result.

 

Expect the same political manipulations related to the “Respect for Marriage Act” in the coming weeks. And demand that your senator vote not by the lies and intimidations of the Left but in support of the American families that desperately need it.

Walmart’s Woke Abortion Policy

By | News and Events, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

Below is a message we received regarding Walmart’s new plan to expand abortion coverage for employees. Such a far cry from the beliefs of their founder.

This new expansion of abortion coverage is a slap in the face to millions of Americans who oppose abortion and who have looked to Walmart as a family-friendly alternative to other big-name brands like Target that have been on the wrong side of family issues for years.

 

Walmart has turned its back on its constituents and has chosen to feed the dangerous lie that the value of life is dependent on circumstance. We believe in protecting the life and health of the mother; however, the intentional and direct termination of a baby via an abortion procedure is never required to do so.

Please join us in contacting Walmart to share your disappointment with their new policy and urge them to stop buying into lies in order to appease the woke mob.

 

CONTACT WALMART:

Copy/paste the text from our sample comment sharing your disappointment with Walmart’s new policy.

 

To submit your comment to Walmart Corporate, click here, select company feedback and questions, and paste our template text or your own comment into the text box.

 

Press Release: It’s Time to #TossTarget

By | Dobbs, News and Events, Press Releases, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

For Immediate Release
August 10, 2022
Comms@cwfa.org
(202)488-7000

 

#TossTarget Campaign Exposes Company’s Discriminatory Policies & Political Agenda
Funding Abortion Travel is a “Slap in the Face” to Millions

 

Washington, D.C. – Today, Concerned Women for America (CWA), the country’s largest public policy women’s organization, is launching a nationwide campaign to encourage Americans to stop shopping at Target stores, to “Toss Target” and find an alternative that better suits their values. In June, Target announced it would fund travel and expenses for their employees who want to go to another state to have an abortion.

 

Following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that returned abortion policy to the democratic process and allow state legislatures to decide policies that best fit the people of their state, many have enacted laws curtailing abortions. According to Guttmacher research data, more than 70% of the American people support restrictions on abortion.

 

“Pro-life Americans have the power of the purse and need to stop funding companies that hate us and everything we stand for,” said Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America. “Companies who fund travel to another state for an abortion and don’t provide the extra support for their employees who choose life are practicing discrimination and their actions are a slap in the face to the more the millions of Americans who support life.”

 

CWA is rallying its state leaders and activists, its Young Women for America chapters and other pro-life organizations and activists to join the effort at the height of the school shopping season.   Posted on its website is a list of alternatives to many of the companies that have promised to fund abortion travel for their employees. It also includes sample letters and scripts for letting the executives and managers of the company know why Americans are choosing to shop elsewhere.

 

“Target has been on the wrong side of family issues for many years and it’s time we take our business elsewhere and let their executives and managers know why,” said Nance. “Their incredibly offensive decision to weigh in on the most important moral issues in the United States of our time, literally weighing in on the side of death, is not only wrongheaded and insidious but downright financially foolish.”

 

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 Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee is the legislation and advocacy arm of Concerned Women for America, the Nation’s largest public policy organization for women; we are dedicated to promoting Biblical values and Constitutional principles. More information is available at www.ConcernedWomen.org

 

Payback: Abortion Radicals to the Court

By | LBB, News and Events | No Comments

President Joe Biden is doing everything in his power to pay back his pro-abortion supporters who are enraged following the recent Supreme Court decision in Dobbs, which finally overturned Roe v. Wade, sending the issue back to the states.

 

He recently signed an executive order to allow Medicaid funds to be used to facilitate travel for women who want to have an abortion, in clear violation of the spirit, if not the letter of federal law, as expressed through the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal money being used to cover the cost of abortions.

 

But the Left long ago figured out that taking such illegal actions requires judges willing to manipulate the law to make sure the policy choices they cannot get through the legislative process are imposed by judicial fiat, exactly what they did through Roe for so many years.

 

Enter Julie Rikelman, President Biden’s nominee to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit based in Massachusetts. Rikelman is none other than the abortion rights activist who represented the abortion clinic in Dobbs. It doesn’t get more brazen than that.

 

Rikelman has dedicated her life to promoting abortion. She is the senior director of the Center for Reproductive Rights, the nation’s most active pro-abortion organization challenging pro-life laws in the states. She was appointed to that position after returning to the organization where she first served as a “Blackmun Fellow.” Justice Blackmun was the author of the Roe v. Wade decision.

 

Needless to say, Rikelman is not an impartial jurist. She is an abortion activist and has been tapped for this position for that very reason. This White House has shown complete contempt for law and justice and the proper role of a judge.

 

President Biden nominated Rikelman after word got out that he might have a deal with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) that would have allowed, Chad Meredith, a nominee some considered conservative to be nominated. Radical groups immediately jumped on the White House to get in line. And so they did, nominating Rikelman to appease the mob and showing little regard for the proper role of a judge.

 

This fits with the increasing abortion radicalism of this White House. Recently, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Justices took “an unconstitutional action” in Dobbs. That was right on the heels of calling Justice Clarence Thomas “Justice Thompson,” showing complete disdain for Justice Thomas simply because of his judicial philosophy.

 

Senators in the Senate Judiciary Committee must stand against the Rikelman nomination while raising awareness of the dangers of the continued political weaponization of the processes of justice.

 

We have seen it, not only in the nominations process, but in the Department of Justices’ targeting of parents, in the FBI’s mishandling of critical information about those they favor politically, and more.

 

Senators should use every tool at their disposal to protect the ideas that guard our liberties. The corruption and politicization of justice should be right at the top that list.

Baby in womb

Nance Responds to Kansas Anti-Abortion Amendment Defeat

By | News and Events, Press Releases, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

Penny Nance, Concerned Women for America’s CEO and President, had this to say concerning the defeat of the Kansas Value Them Both amendment:

 

“The disappointing results on the Kansas pro-life amendment will serve as a great motivator for the pro-life movement going forward. It reveals what we already knew: we have much work to do to promote a culture of love and life in every state. 

“The good news is that we are free to do that work with the Supreme Court out of the way unconstitutionally mandating what every state must do. We embrace the opportunity to do the hard work necessary to change hearts and minds— however long it takes. But, we must do better to counter the lies of abortion extremists and to be strategic in our education and outreach. 

“This is the democratic process at work. The battle to protect human life at all stages continues. We are confident in our position to achieve ultimate victory.”

Unlawful Attacks on Supreme Court Justices Multiply

By | LBB | No Comments

Even after the attempted assassination of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the campaign of harassment at the homes of conservative justices has continued by a tiny but vocal radical crowd. Protesters showed up recently at a restaurant where Justice Kavanaugh was dining.

 

To his shame, Attorney General Merrick Garland continues ignoring these clear federal law violations. Title 18 U.S. Code § 1507 authorizes a fine or even imprisonment to “Whoever … with the intent of influencing any judge … pickets or parades in or near a building housing a court of the United States, or in or near a building or residence occupied or used by such judge …”

 

But these radicals operate at the urgency of legal, liberal intellectuals. Harvard Law School lecturer Alejandra Caraballo tweeted recently that the justices should be harassed at every turn. “It is our civic duty,” she wrote, “to accost them every time they are in public. They are pariahs. Since women don’t have their rights, these justices should never have a peaceful moment in public again.”

 

Congress, too, is participating. A radical group of Democrats introduced a bill to put “term limits” on Supreme Court Justices. The bill titled the Supreme Court Tenure Establishment and Retirement Modernization Act of 2022 is blatantly unconstitutional. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution states plainly, “The judges, both of the supreme and inferior courts, shall hold their offices during good behaviour, and shall, at stated times, receive for their services, a compensation, which shall not be diminished during their continuance in office.” But they have no regard for the Constitution or the rule of law.

 

Their unconstitutional legislation says, “Each justice shall serve in regular active service for 18 years from the date of justice’s commission, after which the justice shall be deemed to have retired from regular active service ….” And it requires the President to nominate new justices “during his first and third years after a year in which there is a Presidential election.”

 

It is a messaging bill, as radicals are so apt at producing. It is part of their strategy to harass and intimidate the justices into submission. It is going nowhere, and even if it did, it would be immediately declared unconstitutional.

 

But the point for us is to realize that the attacks on our constitutional structure and the rule of law are in full force, and we must engage them both at the spiritual and policy level. So, pray for the justices, pray against the evil schemes of harassment, and make sure your members of Congress are standing up to protect the crucial institution that is our U.S. Supreme Court.

Rebuking Jesus—Liberal Elites Know Best

By | Dobbs, Legal, News and Events, Sanctity of Life | No Comments

Our sensory-overloaded society has a hard time focusing. We go from scandal to scandal, emergency to emergency, outrage to outrage. There is no time for serious reflection and introspection—no time for mourning and repentance. It is no wonder we have become so easily deceived and manipulated.

 

The swindle of the radical gender ideology is a perfect example. This week, UC Berkeley School of Law Professor Khiara Bridges testified at a Senate Judiciary hearing titled, “A Post-Roe America: The Legal Consequences of the Dobbs Decision.” Of course, everyone expected the radical abortion position that refuses to acknowledge the humanity of babies in the womb at any point. That sort of callous disregard for human life, even after birth, has become a hallmark of the liberal elites that permeate our institutions of higher learning. What is new is this attempt to present a fact-free, fantastical account of reality as an uncontroverted fact that everyone must pretend to accept or else.

 

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In speaking about the killing of a baby in the womb, Prof. Bridges repeatedly said things like, “I think that the person with the capacity for pregnancy has value, and they should have the ability to control what happens.”

 

To speak of mothers as “the person with the capacity of pregnancy” is deranged. But this is what is being demanded of all of us. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) clashed with the new gender ideology golden statue as he tried to probe Prof. Bridges on the matter.

 

HAWLEY: “You’ve referred to people with a capacity for pregnancy. Would that be women?”

 

BRIDGES: “Many women, cis women, have the capacity for pregnancy. Many cis women do not have the capacity for pregnancy. There are also trans men who are capable of pregnancy as well as nonbinary people who are capable of pregnancy.”

 

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CWA of North Dakota Supports Bipartisan “Trigger Statute” Soon to Go Into Effect

By | North Dakota | No Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 28, 2022
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Linda Thorson (701) 331-9792  

Concerned Women for America of North Dakota Supports
Bipartisan “Trigger Statute” Soon to Go Into Effect

 

Bismarck, North Dakota – Attorney General Drew Wrigley announced this morning that he hand-delivered a letter to the North Dakota Legislative Council today in response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

 

The 2007 bipartisan “trigger bill,” House Bill 1466, banning abortion, was written to take effect should the Roe precedent be overturned. Its primary sponsor was former Rep. James Kerzman, a Democrat.   Many other Democrat House members voted to pass the bill, including the current Minority Leader, Sen. Joan Heckaman (New Rockford), Sen. Richard Marcellais (Belcourt), and Sen. Tim Mathern (Fargo).

 

Concerned Women for America (CWA) of North Dakota State Director Linda Thorson, speaking for Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, has this to say concerning the certification of the 2007 legislation regulating abortion:

“We are grateful that the North Dakota Legislature passed a strongly supported bipartisan ‘trigger statute’ that goes into effect next month! North Dakota stands ready to welcome women and unborn children. Our citizens, members of the state legislature, and our state administration have strongly supported a culture of life that protects all.”

 

“We are not so naive as to think that no more abortions will occur. After 50 years of a culture of death, we still have hearts and minds to change. We must continue to lovingly support and encourage women in their pregnancies. We must declare respect for life from the moment of conception and understand that all life is precious. We must recognize that we are created in the image of God.”

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Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee is the legislation and advocacy arm of Concerned Women for America, the Nation’s largest public policy organization for women; we are dedicated to promoting Biblical values and Constitutional principles. More information is available at ConcernedWomen.org.

It’s Now In Our Hands – Will You Join Us?

By | California | No Comments

The Supreme Court of the United States overturned the Roe v. Wade decision giving the law and authority to the states to decide on how to protect the rights of the unborn. It is time to celebrate a historic victory! It is time to recognize the power of prayer. Thank you to everyone who tirelessly prayed and worked on the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case at the state and national levels.  This is evidence that all the work you are doing DOES bear fruit.

 

Thank you for your efforts on behalf of the lives saved by this decision.

 

Over 40 years ago, Mrs. Beverly LaHaye founded Concerned Women for America around her kitchen table with a few praying women for legislation such as Roe v. Wade because it did not represent her as a Christian, as a woman, as a wife, or as a mother. Now, Concerned Women for America is the largest public policy women’s organization in the nation, having a strong pro-life voice in the media, in the courts, on Capitol Hill, in state and local governments, in high school, on college campuses, and in culture.

This week, Concerned Women for America (CWA) of California participated in the California March for Life. Prior to the start of the march, CWA of California hosted a prayer vigil to pray for life, for safety at the March for Life, prayers to bless families in California, for the California legislature to pass life-giving bills, and praying for the Supreme Court Justices to overturn Roe. Hearts were softened and prayers were answered! We need to enter the throne room carrying our banners and noise makers and praise the LORD Hallelujah!

 

More pictures from the day here.

The battle is not over. The end of Roe did not make abortion illegal.

The Court’s decision gave law and authority back to the people in states, which means now more than ever, recognize that your voice really matters. Engage with your local and state representatives. Continue your prayer efforts and be in the know about your state government. Ultimately, at the end of the day, it’s a matter of two paired hearts, the mom and her child.
 
Join with me in prayer for hope, support, and knowledge that there are networks of churches, pregnancy health centers, and medical clinics that provide nurturing environments that give free support, from prenatal care to counseling and adoption services to diapers and other childcare supplies.
 
God does have a plan for this nation. Praise the LORD and Hallelujah for this victory for life!

God bless you for your faithfulness in prayer and action!

 

Marlo Tucker
State Director