President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence will reach the first 100 days milestone of their administration this Saturday, and according to the President’s personal Twitter account, he’ll be celebrating the benchmark with a “BIG rally in Pennsylvania.”
The first 100 days have held special significance in American politics since Franklin D. Roosevelt signed 15 major pieces of legislation early in his presidency. That inspired pundits and the media to use the timeframe to measure the President, because it occurs during the “honeymoon period” when a new administration’s influence is likely at its greatest.
That’s why there are so many analysis pieces on President Trump’s time in office being written right now. Like so many others, I’m reading and listening to the pundits and experts. There are things I’ve agreed with the president on, and areas where I don’t.
But for today, I want to concentrate on how this administration is treating the preborn.
How has President Trump fared in his first 100 days in office from a pro-life perspective?
Thankfully, there is good news to report. When it comes to defending preborn life, President Trump has delivered.
– President Trump nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch, a strict constitutionalist and preeminent legal mind, to the Supreme Court. Judge Gorsuch was confirmed after a somewhat bitter process. Justice Gorsuch has pledged to faithfully apply the law and has a deep respect for the Constitution of the United States as it was originally written.
My hope is that President Trump continues along this vein, especially because he may have the opportunity to nominate a second Supreme Court judge if reports that Justice Anthony Kennedy – who is often the Court’s “swing” vote – might step down are true. We also have to consider that President Trump may get the chance to make the most federal judicial appointments since the 1950s, giving him an opportunity to reshape the courts.
– President Trump has surrounded himself with strong pro-life advisers in his inner circle, including Vice President Mike Pence and Kellyanne Conway, his former presidential campaign manager who now serves as a top counselor. The two spoke at this year’s March for Life event – with the Vice President becoming the highest ranking U.S. official ever to do so. (And when I attended a pro-life reception at the White House on the eve of the March for Life, Vice President Pence personally told me more good news was in the works for pro-lifers.)
President Trump has also placed committed pro-lifers to relevant Cabinet positions, including Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who has a 100 percent pro-life voting record. That means he can investigate and, if needed, prosecute the many instances of negligence and abuse that are an everyday part of the abortion industry and make sure that the government recognizes and protects conscience rights.
Another key pro-life Cabinet member is Dr. Thomas E. Price, who heads up the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In addition to his pro-life stance on abortion, Dr. Price also opposes embryonic stem cell research – and as HHS secretary, he oversees the National Institute of Health’s grants for research on embryonic stem cells.
– President Trump has faithfully enacted pro-life policies since he took the oath of office. He started by reinstating the pro-life Mexico City Policy a scant two days after his inauguration. What this does is make sure that foreign nongovernmental organizations that receive family planning assistance from the United States cannot perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning.
Beyond the Mexico City Policy, President Trump has also taken steps to pull back two pro-abortion policies: repealing an Obama-era rule that banned states from denying federal funds to groups that commit abortion (such as Planned Parenthood), and announcing the end of our funding of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) because of its support of abortion and forced sterilization in China.
Well, those are a few highlights and thoughts. Please let me know what you think about President Trump’s first 100 days. How do you think he’s doing on the pro-life front? What else would you like for him to do to support preborn babies? I look forward to reading your thoughts in the comments section, below.
Sign up for the weekly e-newsletter
Leave a Reply