Last week, tens of thousands of Americans took part in our nation’s most important rally for the unborn, the March for Life. I am so proud of the large number of Alabamians who traveled all the way to Washington to participate. Sadly, it is mostly ignored by the mainstream media. But, this year’s rally received unprecedented support, as President Trump became the first sitting president to attend and address the group!
President Trump’s pro-life record is truly unmatched among presidents. He has been front and center in the fight. He has blocked Planned Parenthood from receiving federal family planning money. Just last week, his administration challenged the state of California over a rule that violates federal law in mandating insurance plans cover elective abortions.
Perhaps the most significant contribution President Trump has made to the pro-life cause has been his judicial nominations. The Senate has confirmed 187 of President Trump’s judicial nominations, a staggering number that will leave a permanent legacy. Candidate Trump promised to appoint constitutional conservatives to the courts, and he has kept his word. After eight years of President Obama appointing judicial activists who want to legislate from the bench, we have made remarkable progress in short order restoring integrity to our courts.
President Trump’s two most important nominations have been to the Supreme Court. Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh are brilliant jurists who truly seek to uphold the Constitution. Each of them could serve another three decades or more on the court.
To appreciate the magnitude of the makeup of the Supreme Court, look no further than Roe v. Wade. Since the horrific ruling in this case, over 60 million unborn children have been aborted. That’s over twelve times the population of Alabama. But, for the first time in my adult life, I can see a path to overturning Roe, thanks to the President’s leadership.
I’m proud of my record of fighting for life and against radical extremists seeking unlimited access to abortions. As a member of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, I’ve sponsored and fought for legislation to end federal funding of Planned Parenthood, ban abortions after a heartbeat is detected, and define that human life begins at conception.
Unfortunately, Washington is no longer a safe place for pro-life Democrats. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York said last year, “[A]s a party, we should be 100 percent pro-choice, and it should be non-negotiable.” It is astonishing to see how far the Democrat party has moved. As President Trump correctly stated when explaining his reasoning for attending the March for Life rally, “religious liberty is under siege.”
Look at Senator Gillibrand’s own state. Last year, New York passed a law essentially making abortion legal up until the moment of birth. In explaining a similar proposed law in Virginia, Democrat Governor Ralph Northam said their law would make it legal to abort a baby after birth, essentially permitting doctors to allow infants to die after a failed abortion. This is infanticide! It is unthinkable that such a barbaric act could take place, much less be tolerated, in a civilized nation like ours. I tried to force a vote on legislation making this practice illegal, but the Democrat majority blocked me on the House floor and even turned off my microphone.
Let me be clear. I unequivocally believe that God makes every person in his image. Every single life is precious. I am fully committed to fighting for the unborn. As President Trump said in his address, “every life brings love into this world. Every child brings joy to a family. Every person is worth protecting.” Thank God we have such an advocate in the White House! I’ll continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with President Trump in this fight.
U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne is a Republican from Fairhope. He is a 2020 candidate for the U.S. Senate.
