A Presidential View of the Pro-Life Cause
By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director
Before I joined the pro-life movement, I thought the President had little to do with the issue of abortion. I believed that abortion was a private matter, and a public official–even one as high-ranking as the Commander-in-Chief, had nothing to do with how many abortions might occur in a given year.
Once I became involved in the pro-life cause, I learned there are a myriad of ways a President can have an impact on abortion policy. Through Executive Orders, appointments, budgetary priorities, and the bully pulpit, the Chief Executive can further the cause of life or undermine it.
Think of pro-abortion President Bill Clinton vetoing the Partial-Birth Abortion Act and, a few years later, pro-life President George W. Bush signing it.
Consider President Clinton appointing pro-abortion Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the U.S. Supreme Court, and pro-life President Donald Trump naming strict constructionist Neil Gorsuch to the nation’s highest court.
Remember when pro-abortion President Barack Obama overturned the Mexico City Policy, which ensured that your hard-earned federal tax dollars were not spent on organizations that perform or promote abortions overseas? Thankfully, President Trump has reinstated the policy, which may save countless lives and spare many women the pain of abortion.
This Presidents’ Day, let us remember with thanks those Presidents who have championed life while in office. And let us remember the immortal words of pro-life President Ronald Reagan, who said, “I’ve noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born.”
