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Never give up defending the defenseless |
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January 28, 2017 |
By U.S. Congressman Raul Labrador
I have always strongly supported protections for
the unborn and I’m happy to report two big wins
for the pro-life movement in the first week of
the Trump Administration.
On Monday, President Trump signed an executive
order restoring the “Mexico City” policy that
prohibits foreign nongovernmental organizations
from receiving federal funding if they perform
or promote abortion services.
The policy is named for the location of a
conference where President Ronald Reagan – a
champion of the unborn – first instituted the
restrictions in 1984. President Obama rescinded
the rule in 2009.
On Tuesday, I was pleased to join my House
colleagues in approving H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer
Funding for Abortion Act. The bill establishes a
uniform policy against taxpayer funding of
abortion in all government programs, including
Obamacare.
This historic legislation owes its origins to
another pro-life warrior, former House Judiciary
Committee Chairman Henry Hyde of Illinois.
In 1976, three years after Roe v. Wade made
abortion-on-demand widely available, the Hyde
Amendment barred taxpayer dollars from being
used to fund most abortions and abortion
coverage through programs like Medicaid.
But the Hyde Amendment applied only to one
appropriations bill, requiring Congress to
attach annual bans to programs funded by other
revenue streams, such as international aid and
the federal employee benefits program. H.R. 7
replaces that patchwork with a clear policy
applying the principles of the Hyde Amendment
across the federal government.
I believe no American should be forced to
violate their conscience rights by subsidizing
abortions. The American people agree.
According to a new Marist Poll, 83 percent of
Americans oppose the use of tax dollars to
support abortion in other countries and 61
percent oppose spending tax dollars to fund
abortions in the U.S.
The pro-life movement has much to celebrate, as
hundreds of thousands are expected to gather in
Washington, D.C., for the annual March for Life.
The first march was held January 22, 1974, on
the first anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
On Friday, the crowd heard from speakers
including Vice President Mike Pence, the
highest-ranking official to ever address the
marchers. They ended the march outside the
Supreme Court.
Since the first march, an estimated 57 million
abortions have been performed in the U.S. That
tragic figure would have been higher without the
Hyde Amendment, which has saved two-million
unborn children.
Those two-million people outnumber Idaho’s
population of 1.7 million. Every one of those
lives is cherished, enriching their loved ones
and contributing to their communities.
We must never give up our fight to defend the
defenseless. |
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