The exciting news out of Washington, DC this week was the confirmation of Senator Jeff Sessions as US attorney general. Mr. Sessions becomes the first pro-life attorney general in almost a decade.
In our estimation, the manner of Sessions’ confirmation gives hope that the Republican majority has finally begun to act like the majority party. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell acted swiftly and effectively when Senator Elizabeth Warren broke Senate rules by reading material that impugned the character of Sessions (a sitting US senator). In a party-line vote, 49 to 43, senators upheld a decision to force Warren to take her seat and not speak out until after the nomination procedure ended.
Late last week, when Democrats refused to go to committee meetings on cabinet nominations because they knew there was a rule that at least one Democrat had to be present for a vote, Republicans voted to suspend the rule and the confirmations proceeded without a problem.
In other news this week, pro-lifers are gearing up for a nationwide rally against Planned Parenthood tomorrow, February 11. (See Action Item.) In an effort to stop the effort to take away its taxpayer money, Planned Parenthood is encouraging its supporters to show up at its facilities in a counter-protest. The pro-life forces will certainly have 10,000 or more people out in front of Planned Parenthood. The counter-protestors will swell that number. Pro-lifers are determined to have a peaceful, prayerful presence outside Planned Parenthood.
Finally, as we mentioned last week, the effort to confirm Judge Neil Gorsuch as the next justice of the United States Supreme Court is expected to begin in earnest next week. American Life League is a signer on a letter to all United States senators. In that letter, we point out that “Judge Gorsuch is widely recognized as a jurist possessed of deep intelligence and true fair-mindedness. In 2006 the U.S. Senate recognized these qualities, confirming Gorsuch without dissent to his current position on the 10th Circuit. After a decade of constitutionally sound and clearly written rulings and opinions, Judge Gorsuch deserves once again the swift approval of the Senate.”
We also said, “Judge Gorsuch dissented in a case where a 10th Circuit panel sided with Planned Parenthood, America’s largest abortion provider, when it overrode the factual finding of the federal district court and issued a preliminary injunction against the governor of Utah’s decision to defund the abortion business over allegations of its involvement in potential violations of law regarding trading in fetal organs. Gorsuch faulted the 10th Circuit majority for failing to follow the appropriate standard of review and the customary deference to the factual findings of the court below.”