Week in Review
Virginia Is One Step Away from Adding Abortion Amendment in November’s Voting Ballot
Virginia House Democratic delegates voted YES on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, to add an abortion amendment for voters to Virginia’s ballot in its upcoming election in November. This amendment, entitled “Fundamental Right to Reproductive Freedom,” seeks to enshrine abortion into Virginia’s state constitution. Efforts to make abortion a constitutional “right” in Virginia follow the seven states that passed similarly worded amendments into their own constitution in the 2024 election.
The Virginia amendment proposes the following:
That every individual has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including the ability to make and carry out decisions relating to one’s own prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and fertility care. . . .
Notwithstanding the above, the Commonwealth may regulate the provision of abortion care in the third trimester, provided that in no circumstance shall the Commonwealth prohibit an abortion (i) that in the professional judgment of a physician is medically indicated to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual or (ii) when in the professional judgment of a physician the fetus is not viable (Emphasis added).
With vague language and confusing inclusion of miscarriage, childbirth, and pregnancy care, this amendment seeks to do just that: cause confusion while proclaiming “fundamental rights” to everyone except the innocent preborn child in the womb. In summary, this amendment declares abortion-on-demand as a right. Unsurprisingly, since its inception, this amendment has been sponsored by organizations such as Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia. This amendment has passed two House sessions and one Senate session, and it is scheduled for its final Senate session today. Sadly, due to the overwhelming support from Democratic delegates in Virginia who hold control of the House and Senate, we are expecting this amendment to appear on Virginia voter ballots this November.
Additionally, Democrats in Virginia have also proposed an amendment that seeks to overturn the current state ban on same-sex “marriage” in an attempt to redefine marriage as something that it is not. This is also expected to pass swiftly through the Senate. In 2024, Virginia’s Catholic bishops Rev. Michael Burbidge and Rev. Barry Knestout made a joint statement on the two amendments, which were newly introduced at the time. Bishop Burbidge released an additional statement yesterday about this amendment; it can be read here. American Life League continues to stand with our bishops in condemning these heinous amendments that seek to undermine God’s law on life and the family. We are currently working on some ways we can all combat this evil amendment through action and prayer. Please stay tuned for more information.
Trump Administration Restores Millions in Funding to Planned Parenthood
This week, the American Civil Liberties Union announced that it has dropped its lawsuit against the Trump administration after the Department of Health and Human Services quietly restored tens of millions in Title X family planning funds to Planned Parenthood and other abortion facilities.
Starting in March 2025, the Title X funding was temporarily withheld from more than a dozen providers, including nine Planned Parenthood state affiliates, due to violations stemming from a Trump executive order. The freeze impacted grants worth around $65.8 million.
Some funding was restored over the summer, but several affiliates (in states like the Carolinas, Dakotas, Ohio, Utah, Virginia, and others) remained under investigation until December 2025. At that point, HHS official Amy Margolis informed the grantees that they not only would have funding restored but would receive back pay all the way to April 2025.
The National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association (represented by the ACLU) voluntarily dismissed the case in a court filing, as all withheld Title X grants were now released.
This decision does not affect Planned Parenthood’s Medicaid reimbursements, which were taken away in the summer of 2025 and are expected to be restored in full in the summer of 2026.
This decision is a disappointing trend for the Trump administration, which has proven time and time again that the babies are not the priority and are used as a political bargaining chip. Most recently, Trump urged fellow Republicans to be “flexible” on the Hyde Amendment, which keeps federal funds from being used for abortions. We must continue to pray for the president and his administration. Our nation needs lawmakers who will stand between our most vulnerable and the evil entities, like Planned Parenthood, that seek to destroy them.
ALL in the News
Celebrate Life Magazine editor Susan Ciancio wrote an op-ed following an interview with a former Planned Parenthood director who now advocates for life. It was published by LifeSiteNews. She also wrote an article about a fun coloring and activity book created by the Culture of Life Studies Program. You can read it at Catholic365.
The bimonthly Wednesday STOPP Report was released this week. Catch the latest Planned Parenthood news here.
Katie Brown Xavios, ALL’s national director, regularly posts updates about American Life League and its important work on social media channels X and LinkedIn. Follow her accounts to stay up to date.
Twice a week, Judie’s commentaries are distributed to an expansive media list. The list contains over 100 media outlets such as Fox News, The Federalist, Breitbart, and The Daily Caller, among others. Judie’s commentaries are each featured on the front page of ALL.org.
Pro-Life Education
Culture of Life Studies Program
The Miracle of Life Coloring & Activity Book is packed with puzzles and information to help children ages three and older understand the beauty and sacredness of preborn life and the necessity to defend it. Containing nearly 50 pages, this book teaches kids the ABCs of Life, has connect-the-dot puzzles, mazes, facts about fetal development, and more! It’s available in bulk to order, or you can download a copy for just $2 for personal use. ORDER HERE
ALL’s Education Materials
Our Blessed Mother is as saddened by abortion as you and I are. When we pray for her intercession, we can rest assured that she will take those prayers to her Son. With this beautiful prayer card depicting Mary slaying the devil on one side and the Memorare on the other, you can have a constant reminder of the importance of praying for the preborn. And you can buy them in bulk to share with others or to leave in the back of your church! SHOP NOW
Pro-Life Social Media
VIDEO: Fulton Sheen’s Prophecy of Disturbed, Post-Abortive Women
No official confirmation has appeared yet on the Vatican’s website, but the momentum suggests that beatification for Archbishop Fulton Sheen will happen in September of 2026, unless unforeseen issues arise.
Sheen remains “Venerable,” having been declared as such by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 for his heroic virtues. A miracle attributed to his intercession—the 2010 recovery of a stillborn child—was approved by Pope Francis in July 2019, which cleared the path for beatification.
In a talk about confession not long after the Roe v. Wade decision, Fulton Sheen broached the topic of abortion:
Prediction: accurate
— The Chivalry Guild (@ChivalryGuild) January 11, 2026
"Just think, my dear ladies, of how many mentally disturbed women we are going have in the United States in the next 10 or 15 years when the guilt of abortion begins to attack the mind and soul."pic.twitter.com/MKYphIXia3
That was the early 1970s. Could he have foreseen what has become of post-abortive women 50 years later?
Did he ever miss?
— Mack (@kenzietuff) January 11, 2026