Progress Made in the Respect Life Movement
By Ray Ross
In the week following President Trump’s inauguration significant progress was made in the
Respect Life movement.
On Thursday, January 24 th , President Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) pardoning the 23
pro-lifers imprisoned during the Biden Administration for exercising their First Amendment
rights. President Trump said that none of the pro-lifers should ever have been imprisoned and it
was an honor to pardon them
.
On Friday, January 25 th , President Trump issued another EO reinstating the Mexican City policy.
This policy forbids U.S. taxpayers funding of international nongovernmental organizations that
promote or perform abortions.
Also on the 24 t,h both President Trump and Vice President Vance spoke to the 52 nd March for
Life. Trump said via video that “we will again stand proudly for families and for life.”
Later, Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for President Trump, said that half a million children
were trafficked during the four years of the Biden Administration and between 75,000 and
80,000 of those children have now been located. He went on to say that the Trump
Administration will investigate every instance of child trafficking, sex trafficking and child
smuggling.
Still to come is defunding of Planned Parenthood.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is a proposed body announced by President
Trump to reduce wasteful spending, streamline operations and eliminate unnecessary
regulations. Led by Elon Musk, DOGE’s goal is to cut $2,000,000,000,000 from the federal
budget.
DOGE plans to eliminate programs, such as funding for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). The
President has already issued an Executive Order (EO) removing all DEI employees from the
federal government and placing them on paid leave. Planned Parenthood is another program
ripe to be cut.
The Federal government currently spends between $700M and $750M on Planned Parenthood.
This funding includes medical reimbursements, grants and contracts accounting for 35% of the
total Planned Parenthood budget.
In 2022 392,715 abortions were done at a Planned Parenthood facility and that was about 40%
of all abortions done in the United States. Since the Roe v. Wade decision in 1970 over eight
and a half million abortions have been performed by Planned Parenthood.
Planned Parenthood has also raised revenue by selling body parts of the unborn – hearts, livers,
lungs etc. This was often done by delivering a viable child who survived the abortion. This is a
federal offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison. This practice was famously exposed by
David Daleiden when he went undercover at the National Abortion Federation trade show in
San Francisco.
Defunding Planned Parenthood would put a serious crimp in Planned Parenthood’s ability to
operate and commit these and other crimes. Please pray that this happens quickly.