Trump spoke live via video link last year, and Pence was the first VP to speak in person.
Some will no doubt call this a raw political move looking at the November election. But it's only the latest move in a sterling pro-life record. Trump has consistently proven himself to be the most pro-life president in history.
Here is a list from Susan B. Anthony List. It goes to mid-year, 2019. Since then Trump has lobbied against abortion in the UN. And he has tied these things in with freedom of religious conscience rights.
Appointed Pro-Life Judges
During the 2016 campaign, then-candidate Trump promised he would nominate pro-life justices to the U.S. Supreme Court. In the final presidential debate, Trump stated, “I am pro-life, and I will be appointing pro-life judges.” President Trump has already made significant progress on this commitment to the Pro-Life Movement. In April, 2017, Judge Neil Gorsuch was successfully confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court. And in October, 2018, Judge Brett Kavanaugh was successfully confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court. To date, 157 of President Trump’s judicial nominees have been confirmed, including two Supreme Court justices, forty-three U.S. Courts of Appeals judges, and one hundred thirteen District Court judges.
Permitted States to Defund Planned Parenthood of Title X Funds
In April 2017, Congress sent a bill to President Trump’s desk that permits states to defund Planned Parenthood of Title X family planning funds passed in Congress. President Trump signed the bill which reverses an Obama-era rule that disbarred states from doing so. Because this was passed using the Congressional Review Act, future Administrations cannot enact a similar rule to Obama’s.
Stopped Tax Dollars Funding Abortion Overseas
President Trump not only reinstated the Mexico City Policy, but expanded it to the new Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance program. This new policy ensures that our tax dollars are protected from funding the abortion industry overseas across ALL global health spending, not just family planning dollars. The Bush-era Mexico City Policy protected roughly $500 million in spending – the new Trump policy protects over $8.8 billion overseas aid from funding abortion.
Defunded the Pro-Abortion UNFPA
The UNFPA has long been complicit in China’s oppressive population control activities, including birth limitation policies and forced abortions. President Trump’s State Department cut U.S. Taxpayer funding to the UNFPA.
Required Health Insurance Companies to Disclose if Plans Cover Abortion
The Trump Administration Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) issued a rule requiring that insurers specify in each plan Summary of Benefits whether the plan covers abortion. The administration also requested input on how to better enforce the limited abortion provisions contained in Obamacare. Until Obamacare is overturned and replaced with a system that does not subsidize abortion coverage, insurers must make abortion coverage clear to persons shopping for a plan.
Settlements & New Rule Regarding HHS Mandate
The Departments of HHS, Treasury, and Labor issued two interim final rules, which means they took effect immediately, while allowing a comment period, that provide permanent, enforceable relief from the previous HHS mandate for both religious objectors, such as Little Sisters of the Poor, and moral objectors, such as Susan B. Anthony List. The new rule also exempts private employers and educational institutions that have sincerely held religious beliefs or moral objections against providing contraceptives or abortifacient drugs.
Strong Pro-Life Appointments to Key Positions Including:
Vice President Mike Pence, Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
New Office for Conscience Protection at HHS
In May 2019, the Trump administration finalized new regulations to strengthen enforcement of federal laws protecting the conscience rights of health care workers who do not want to participate in abortion. The regulations clarify what recourse is available to victims of discrimination under the law and what penalties the HHS Office of Civil Rights may enforce for violations. Additionally, in January 2018, the Department of Health & Human Services announced the creation of the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division within the Office for Civil Rights. This new office works to protect health care professionals who do not want to participate in abortion. In May, 2019, HHS issued a proposed rule amending Obama-era regulations, clarifying that Section 1557 shall not force a recipient of federal funding to provide or pay for an abortion. It shall also be consistent with the First Amendment and with pro-life provisions, conscience provisions and religious liberty protections in current law.
Allowed States to Defund Planned Parenthood of Medicaid Funds
The Obama administration attempted to prevent states from defunding Planned Parenthood of Medicaid dollars, issuing guidance claiming this may be a violation of federal law. In January 2018, the Trump administration rescinded this guidance, allowing states to defund Planned Parenthood of Medicaid dollars as they see fit.
Cut Planned Parenthood’s Tax Funding by up to $60 Million
In February, 2019, the Trump administration finalized the Protect Life Rule to redirect Title X family planning program funds away from the abortion industry. The rule advances President Trump’s promise to stop taxpayer funding of abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood, who will no longer receive Title X funding if they choose not to comply.
Canceled Huge Contract for Taxpayer-Funded Experimentation with Body Parts of Aborted Babies
In June, 2019, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced they would not renew a major contract with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to fund research using the body parts of aborted babies. (learn more)
