Author Archives: Jeanne Mancini

His appalling record — including support for partial-birth abortions — reveals his priorities and anti-life agenda.

Joe Biden’s announcement that he will nominate California attorney general Xavier Becerra to head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a massive blow to all who value women and the lives of the unborn. As a former Democratic representative and current attorney general of California, Becerra has made a career of expanding abortion access, removing protections in place to protect women, and targeting pro-life groups. He has received perfect ratings from both Planned Parenthood and NARAL. It would be a mistake to confirm such a pro-abortion radical to lead HHS.

One need only look at Becerra’s record to imagine what a Health and Human Services Department would look like under his leadership. As the California attorney general, Becerra filed numerous lawsuits to overturn pro-life laws in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio. The laws ranged from ensuring that women were protected from unscrupulous abortionists to banning late-term abortions. Becerra justified the lawsuits by claiming that the laws were direct attacks on Roe v. Wade and said, “No government, state or federal, has the right,” to interfere with abortion.

Becerra has made significant efforts to expand abortion access and decrease protections for women despite the fact that the majority of Americans want to see additional limits on the procedure. When in Congress, Becerra voted against a bill that would protect minors from being driven across state lines to procure an abortion without parental consent. Becerra also voted against a bill that would have banned the gruesome practice of partial-birth abortion. Becerra even voted against the Unborn Victims Against Violence Act, which makes a federal offense of harming or killing a child in utero during a violent crime. These bills that he voted against sought to protect vulnerable women and unborn children. It is clear the Becerra is motivated by a radical abortion-driven agenda.

Throughout his career in public office, he has targeted pro-life pregnancy centers and even the Little Sisters of the Poor, a Catholic group of nuns who care for the elderly poor. As attorney general, Becerra defended the California mandate that required pro-life pregnancy centers to provide written or digital information to their patients about how to obtain a state-funded abortion. This meant that staff and volunteers at such centers would be compelled to violate their conscience. Thankfully, the Supreme Court in NIFLA v. Becerra ruled in favor of pro-life pregnancy centers. In another attack on conscience protections, Becerra sued the Little Sisters of the Poor, insisting they violate their conscience and pay for contraception and abortifacients.

When Planned Parenthood’s fetal trafficking was exposed by the Center for Medical Progress, Becerra did everything in his power, both in Congress and as California attorney general, to defend Planned Parenthood. In Congress, Becerra voted against a congressional investigation into the scandal. Later, as California attorney general, Becerra followed in the footsteps of then–attorney general, Kamala Harris, when he brought 14 felony charges against the people who exposed Planned Parenthood’s baby-body-parts trafficking scheme.

Based on Becerra’s record, there is no doubt that he will use HHS’s trillion-dollar budget to advocate policies that promote abortion and attack conscience protections for health workers. At a time when the country is so fractured, it is tragic that Biden has picked such a divisive figure for a key role in his cabinet. And it’s particularly disturbing after he campaigned on unifying Americans.

But there is hope. The Senate could block Becerra’s nomination if enough pro-life senators oppose it. This makes it even more important for pro-life candidates Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue to win the Georgia runoff election. I urge all pro-life Georgians to get out and vote and to encourage their friends and family to do the same. The message is clear: Without a pro-life majority in the Senate, the Biden-Harris administration will bring its radical abortion agenda to the highest offices in the land.

The post Becerra Would Be a Radical Pro-Abortion Warrior at HHS appeared first on March for Life.

Pro-life Americans, who know all too well the danger of activist judges, welcome the confirmation of this exceptional judge. But all Americans can celebrate the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett who possesses the skill and character needed to sit on the high court. She will protect the constitutional rights of everyone without prejudice and has pledged to fairly apply the law and interpret the constitution as it was written. We thank President Trump for nominating Judge Barrett, and Leader McConnell and all Senators who voted in favor of confirming soon-to-be Justice Barrett. We are also grateful to Judge Barrett and her family for their generous service to our country.”

Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life

The post March for Life Statement on the Confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett appeared first on March for Life.

At her confirmation hearings, Judge Barrett showed the American people why she will make an exceptional addition to the Supreme Court. Her vast understanding and knowledge of the law, and her wealth of personal experiences – as Supreme Court clerk, law professor, mentor, wife, mother, woman of faith, attorney in private practice, judge – are part of why she is the phenomenal jurist she is today. Judge Barrett also possesses the temperament needed for the bench, made obvious as she answered questions from each member of the Senate Judiciary Committee with graciousness and calm. Like her predecessor, Amy Coney Barrett is a trailblazer who is a role model for Americans. Her immense respect for the law and Constitution will allow her to fairly apply the law and consider the rights of everyone who comes before her, including the unborn. We are grateful for the Senate Judiciary Committee’s vote, and look forward to a Senate floor vote very soon.”

Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life

The post March for Life Statement on Judiciary Committee Confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett appeared first on March for Life.

As the nomination hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett are coming to a close, I am excited and grateful for a nominee such as Judge Barrett. Her intellect, graciousness, generosity, and faith are a breath of fresh air in the public square, and are hugely inspiring for women and families everywhere.

While Judge Barrett’s academic capabilities are captivating in their own right, I wanted to reflect on a few moments throughout the hearings that stood out to me as clear examples as to why Judge Barrett is just the kind of trailblazer we want on the Supreme Court.

The Notepad

The moment when Judge Barrett was asked to show the notes she was working from, and, with a humble smile on her face, held up a small, blank notepad. From then on, no one could deny the magnitude of her brilliance (or her memory!).

Senator Cruz’s Comments

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Sen. Ted Cruz’s comments on Tuesday were especially helpful as to understanding what is at stake, in addition to being educational, as were many of his comments throughout the week. I have linked the clip above, it’s worth the watch!

People can disagree without being disagreeable

When Judge Barrett was asked how she hires and mentors clerks for her circuit court, she detailed that not only does she look for someone with excellent legal ability, but also someone who has “integrity,” “character,” and doesn’t have “sharp elbows” when working with others in a close-knit environment. Above all, she said, she hopes her clerks learn from her how they can be “whole people,” free to “live a life where people can disagree without being disagreeable.” In today’s political environment, I’m not sure there is a better attitude to have.

Of course, there were many highlights from the hearings, but I will leave you with this quote from Senate Judiciary Leader Sen. Lindsey Graham addressing Judge Barrett: “I’ve never been more proud of a nominee than I am of you…This is history being made, folks. This is the first time in American history that we’ve nominated a woman who is unashamedly pro-life and embraces her faith without apology. And she’s going to the court!” 

Let us do all that we can, through both prayer and action by contacting your Senators, to ensure that Judge Barrett is indeed confirmed to the Supreme Court of the United States!

Contact Your Senators

The post My Favorite Moments of Amy Coney Barrett’s Confirmation Hearings appeared first on March for Life.

The nomination of Amy Coney Barrett is welcome and exciting news for everyone who values the rule of law and our constitutional rights. We have confidence that she will fairly apply the law and Constitution as written, which includes protecting the most vulnerable in our nation: our unborn children. She is a highly gifted jurist and a woman of great accomplishment – a role model for women and girls across the country – and she deserves a vote as expeditiously as possible. Amy Coney Barrett certainly has the support of pro-life Americans who know, perhaps better than anyone else, the danger of activist judges.”

The post March for Life Statement on the Nomination of Amy Coney Barrett appeared first on March for Life.

Moments ago, President Trump officially nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg on the Supreme Court. We are encouraged by this choice, as Judge Barrett is a judge of impeccable qualifications, who seeks to uphold the dignity of the most vulnerable, and who will interpret the Constitution as it was originally written.

With this nomination, President Trump, just as he did by nominating Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, is fulfilling his promise to strengthen the integrity of our Supreme Court. This time, the Senate has the opportunity to confirm another trailblazing woman to fill the open seat—and quickly.

Judge Barrett has been a distinguished Professor of Law at Notre Dame Law School since 2002, and she notably clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia. Judge Barrett and her husband are the parents of seven children, including one with Down Syndrome, and two adopted from Haiti. Her colleagues at Notre Dame describe her as “an intelligent, thoughtful, open-minded person,” and she was voted professor of the year three times!

In 2017, a bipartisan majority in the U.S. Senate confirmed her appointment to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, where she has served since that time.

During her judicial confirmation hearings, the ranking Democratic Senator on the committee, Senator Dianne Feinstein, famously attacked Judge Barrett’s faith and family with the comment, “the dogma lives loudly within you” and indicated the judge was not qualified because of her religious belief system: Catholicism, which has pro-life tenets.

Such intolerance of a highly qualified judge is un-American and beneath the dignity of the Senate and the judicial confirmation process. Sadly, Judge Barrett’s opponents in the Senate are willing to stoop to continued harassment, humiliation and violence in an effort to deter this process.

With your help, March for Life is prepared to defend this nomination. 

It is clear; Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s credentials could not be better. The Senate should act quickly to ensure that Judge Barrett has a fair and open confirmation process where she can address the American people.

Friend, the importance of this nomination cannot be overstated. Imagine Judge Amy Barrett, a woman committed to social justice and protection of the most vulnerable, serving our country in this capacity for many years to come.

We will be working hard in the coming weeks to ensure that Judge Barrett has a fair chance at that seat.

But we can only do that with your help. We are at a crossroads. There are so many who need to hear this message. Will you consider donating to the March for Life today to help us ensure that Judge Barrett receives a fair process?

DONATE

The post Confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett appeared first on March for Life.

In 2016, voters elected President Trump because he promised to fill any Supreme Court vacancy with a judge from a vetted list of potential nominees who have demonstrated that they are fair, independent, and follow the Constitution as written. Today he has a responsibility to deliver on that promise yet again – and we look forward to closely reviewing that nominee’s record. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, on the other hand, has not released a list of potential Supreme Court nominees, but he has promised to nominate pro-abortion activist judges.”

Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life

The post March for Life Statement on Supreme Court Vacancy appeared first on March for Life.

The State Department recently released a report confirming the Trump Administration’s “Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance” policy (PLGHA), formerly known as the Mexico City Policy, is working. The PLGHA policy mandates that foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who receive aid from the United States must agree not to perform or promote abortions in developing countries.

Opponents have loudly and falsely claimed that PLGHA policy would have devastating impacts on vulnerable groups receiving critical medical care and could lead to the closure of health care clinics around the world. But the facts don’t support this. In reality, the report reveals that the policy has both protected life AND advanced overseas health initiatives.

The Mexico City Policy was initiated by President Reagan and promoted by every Republican administration since. In President Trump’s first week in office he expanded the scope of the PLGHA policy to not only include foreign aid provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and State Department, but also most U.S agencies and departments that work in global health assistance – like the Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Despite opponents’ erroneous claims to the contrary, the PLGHA policy report shows that there have been no significant delays or disturbances in health care. The vast majority – over 99%- of U.S funded International NGOs agreed to the provisions. Only 8 of 1,360 primary recipients of government grants and 47 smaller, local organizations declined.

If Joe Biden wins the presidency, this progress would be instantaneously erased. Joe Biden now supports taxpayer-funded abortions, running on a platform more radical than ever when it comes to abortion. He has promised to do away with the PLGHA policy. His spokesperson stated that the former vice president, “will use executive action on his first day in office to withdraw the Mexico City ‘global gag rule.’” This comes as no surprise given the fact that the Obama administration dismantled the Mexico City Policy in 2008, following in the footsteps of the Clinton administration.

Biden and most Democratic politicians are wildly out of touch when it comes to American support for the PLGHA. In a recent Marist poll, 3-in-4 Americans said they oppose taxpayer funding of abortion overseas. This view isn’t limited to pro-life Americans – 61% of those who identify as pro-choice agree.

The Trump Administration has made policies that protect the inherent dignity of the unborn both here and abroad a major priority. President Trump led twenty-four countries at the United Nations in affirming that there is no international right to abortion. In a historic address to the United Nations General Assembly, he made it known, “Americans will also never tire of defending innocent life […and] we in America believe that every child — born and unborn — is a sacred gift from God.”

Make no mistake, the protection of unborn life in the U.S. and abroad is on the ballot this November. As pro-abortion politicians and international abortion corporations like Planned Parenthood work tirelessly and spend millions for the political power to ensure this popular and compassionate policy comes to an end, Americans everywhere who support it should take note.

The post Trump Administration’s Pro-life Mexico City Policy appeared first on March for Life.

Every year, the March for Life chooses a theme that conveys a timely message. Because today is marked by such division, unrest, and fear, there is a great need for us to come together and be reminded of our special mission and our strength in truth. Though each of us brings our talents to the life movement, we are far stronger together. And so, our 2021 theme is, “Together Strong: Life Unites.”

Each of us has a critical and irreplaceable role to play in building a culture of life. As Mother Teresa of Calcutta put it, “You can do what I cannot do. I can do what you cannot do. Together we can do great things.” From choosing adoption to joyfully accepting the responsibilities of fatherhood and motherhood, from sidewalk counseling to lobbying, from prenatal care to post-abortion support, from praying for the most vulnerable to voting to protect them, everyone is desperately needed. Our gifts and talents, united in the service of one common mission, make us strong.

In 2020, President Trump acknowledged the diverse contributions but unified mission of pro-life people everywhere, saying, “You stand for life each and every day. You provide housing, education, jobs, and medical care to the women you serve. You find loving families for children in need of a forever home. You host baby showers for expectant moms … You just make it your life’s mission to help spread God’s grace.”

While our 2021 theme showcases how life unifies us, it also reveals the divisive and disintegrating reality of abortion. Abortion divides a mother from her child. The abortion industry has deceived many women into believing that pregnancy is a disease, motherhood means giving up one’s dreams, and abortion is empowering.

Abortion divides a man from his fatherhood. Some abortion activists attempt to remove men from the discussion by advancing a “my body, my choice” narrative. But being a voice for the voiceless and unborn is everyone’s concern. In other cases, abortion allows men to walk away from their responsibility and duty to protect and care for a mother and her child.

The abortion industry even divides us from reality itself when it denies the scientific fact that human life begins at fertilization.

But perhaps the most tragic consequence of abortion is that it divides the world from love. Every child brings love into the world, so every life lost to abortion is a loss of love in the world.

The March for Life is the largest annual gathering of pro-life people in the world. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people fill the streets of our nation’s capital: young people full of life and enthusiasm, mothers, fathers, grandparents, children, little ones bundled in strollers, people of all ethnic backgrounds, Republicans and Democrats, Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and atheists. We march together united by the common understanding that every life, from the moment of conception, is precious. And we will not stop marching until every life is valued and protected.

The post Together Strong: Life Unites! appeared first on March for Life.

Each year we invite the President of the United States to participate in the March for Life. Nellie Gray, my predecessor, invited Pres. Obama. In more recent years I invited President Trump to participate, and thankfully he accepted and in doing so became the first President in history to address the March for Life, the world’s largest annual human rights demonstration. 

As a 501c3 nonprofit, we are bipartisan and do not endorse candidates. However, we do everything possible to educate Marchers about candidates. 

Yesterday, an announcement was made regarding Senator Kamala Harris (D-Calif.). We want to be sure that pro-life America has the necessary information about Senator Harris’ background, policies, and votes on the inherent dignity of the human person. Read more below.

1. Senator Harris is generously supported by our nation’s largest abortion provider. Planned Parenthood. The organization has consistently and generously contributed to her campaigns. A generosity she has rewarded them for many times.

2. During Senator Harris’ time as the Attorney General of California, e-mails obtained by reporters showed that her office collaborated with Planned Parenthood—clearly a conflict of interest—to produce legislation that targeted pro-life undercover journalist, David Daleiden.

David and his group, the Center for Medical Progress, helped expose the trafficking of baby body parts by abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. Instead of going after the traffickers, Kamala Harris abused her office to go after David Daleiden!

3. Senator Harris believes pro-life people should not have a voice in the public square. In November 2018, Harris targetedly criticized Brian Buescher, a Catholic federal district court nominee from Nebraska, about his affiliation with the Knights of Columbus, simply because the organization was Catholic.

4. Sen. Harris supports using the power of the Federal government to overturn hundreds of laws in the states that protect the unborn and women. These laws include state taxpayer funding of abortion, ultrasounds prior to an abortion, parental involvement in abortions for minors, and stronger oversight of abortionists and abortion facilities.

5. Senator Harris’s policies are out of touch with even most pro-choice Americans. She supports radical policies including in 2019 and 2020, when she voted to refuse protections for babies born alive after an abortion. She has also voted in support of late-term abortions. She is even supportive of eliminating the popular bi-partisan Hyde Amendment, which protects taxpayers from paying for abortions and is estimated to have saved 2.13 million lives since being enacted.

Friends, this election your pro-life vote is extremely important.  

Click below to make sure you are registered to vote, and come November #VoteProLife! 

Check Your Voter Registration Here

The post Five Things You Didn’t Know About Kamala Harris appeared first on March for Life.