This week, the Senate approved pro-life Callista Gingrich, wife of former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich, as Ambassador to the Vatican. In the Washington Times, Deal W. Hudson wrote: “Mrs. Gingrich is pro-life and conservative, articulate and savvy—her pro-life convictions ensure the pro-life polices of the Trump administration will be the message conveyed to the Vatican by the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See.”
Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services published a draft for a strategic plan for 2018-2022. In the introduction, the document states that HHS “accomplishes its mission through programs and initiatives that cover a wide spectrum of activities, serving and protecting Americans at every stage of life, beginning at conception.” Associate Justice Harry Blackmun of Roe v. Wade once stated that, if the fetus were declared a person, the preborn’s “right to life would then be guaranteed” constitutionally. This HHS draft is a HUGE move in that direction. The draft is open for public comment now through October 27. You can access it at bit.ly/HHS-SPDRAFT.
Brian Fisher, cofounder and president of Human Coalition, told Fox News this week that “there is a growing trend in the U.S. to attempt to deter or silence Americans who oppose the fatal discrimination against preborn children.” This comment came in response to the fact that Apple dropped Human Coalition’s pro-life app that contains events and a prayer feed. In another instance of censorship, last week Twitter blocked a campaign advertisement for US Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) because it had a pro-life sentence in it. In addition, pro-life groups Live Action and Susan B. Anthony List have been urging Twitter to stop blocking them as well.
In Missouri, Planned Parenthood and the ACLU continue to file lawsuits (in this case, SB 5) to challenge laws intended to protect the preborn and the health of women. Previously succeeding in striking down such laws made it possible for PP to apply for licensing to commit abortions in Columbia, Springfield, and Joplin in a state that has only had one abortion facility (St. Louis) for a long time. Missouri attorney general Josh Hawley is fighting hard against these attempts by PP and the ACLU.