Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 13, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).
As pro-life politicians try to figure out the most effective way to defend unborn life, a top leader in the movement argues that leaving abortion policies up to the states — rather than pursuing national pro-life policies — will push the movement into the “ash heap of history.”
“Where is the appropriate battleground for this most important human rights battle of our time?” Marjorie Dannenfelser, a Catholic and CEO of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, rhetorically asked during an interview with “EWTN News In-Depth.”
“Only in the states, or is it a matter for our nation?” Dannenfelser continued. “If this movement cedes the territory to the states only and says that your geography is predictive of whether you live or die in our country, then this movement is headed for the ash heap of history, in my opinion.”
Dannenfelser’s comments come just days after presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee and former president Donald Trump announced that states should determine abortion policies. He said abortion policy is “all about the will of the people” and that “now it’s up to the states to do the right thing.”
“Many states will be different,” Trump said April 8 upon announcing his position on the issue. “Many will have a different number of weeks, or some will have more conservative [policies] than others, and that’s what they will be.”
On Wednesday, during a visit to Atlanta, Trump said he would not sign a national abortion ban if Congress sent one to his desk when asked the question by a reporter.
Trump’s policy approach to abortion puts the former president at odds with Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and other pro-life activists, who have called on lawmakers to pass a federal law that prohibits abortion at the 15th week of pregnancy, with exceptions in cases of rape, incest or a threat to the life of the mother.
During the interview, Dannenfelser said one can debate whether such a 15-week bill is strong enough, but that the federal government needs to be starting somewhere — and cannot simply defer the issue to states.
“The most important question on the table is whether the federal government has anything to say,” Dannenfelser added. “Is there anything rooted in our Constitution that points to the value and dignity of every human life, or does it not?”
Despite her disagreements with Trump on how to approach abortion policy, Dannenfelser said she still supports his candidacy to unseat incumbent President Joe Biden.
“[The Biden] administration, if they have a Senate and a House, would wipe out every single pro-life protection,” Dannenfelser said. “They will eliminate the filibuster. They will do that. So the contrast means, yes, of course, we have to elect [Trump].”
Biden has urged Congress to pass legislation that would codify into law the abortion standards that had been in place under the now-defunct Roe v. Wade decision. Such a law would prohibit states from passing most pro-life policies in addition to overturning the ones currently in place. In his budget proposal, Biden has also requested that Congress eliminate the current ban on taxpayer funding for abortion.
Although Trump has sparred with some pro-life figures over the past year, the former president has taken credit for appointing three of the Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, which allowed states to adopt pro-life laws.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, more than 20 states have passed pro-life laws that put further restrictions on abortion. However, when abortion policies have been put up to a vote via statewide referenda, every pro-life initiative has failed and every pro-abortion initiative has passed — including in Republican-leaning states. This string of electoral defeats has led some pro-life lawmakers to reconsider their approaches to abortion policy.
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Well, I’m glad she supports Trump’s candidacy and I think that reflects many of us that are simply being pragmatic. Preferrinng to lose the ground you gained out of principle never won a war.
Excellent points, mrscracker. Plus, the pro-life movement needs to admit that many of its leaders argued for decades for a state’s rights approach before Dobbs and now some want to turn on a dime and totally nationalize the approach. We are in a difficult situation right now and though I am disappointed that Trump doesn’t have or won’t articulate a stronger position, I find it hard to condemn him given that politics sometimes just comes down to what is possible, and he has probably gauged right what is possible for him in 2024. It would take a far more articulate and persuasive person heading the ticket to take a stronger position, and one thing Trump is not is articulate. He’s worse than George W. was on that score and George W. was pretty bad.
Dannenfelser is right that abortion has to be a national issue but wrong about “we have to elect Trump.” It’s long past time that pro-life people dug in their heels and demanded 100% pro-life candidates. The abortionists never compromise. Trump should have been weeded out two years ago (if not ten years ago). How can we support someone who doesn’t give a hoot about us and has so much as said so? And if Biden gets elected again, we’re just getting what we deserve. We have to start building a culture where Trumps and Bidens and Clintons and Cuomos don’t get past dog catcher. The problem is more than just politics– it’s the whole culture, including the sexual revolution, that has to be dismantled, just as our culture has been dismantled before. As long as women are degraded and people wink at men who degrade them, nothing will change because there will be too many people with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.
I completely agree with you Andrew that the culture needs to be changed. That begins at home and in our communities. But one of the reasons the prolife movement has struggled for half a century is because we confuse perfection with progress.
A step forward is far better than no progess at all.
I agree with mrscracker. I wish that abortion was totally forbidden in our nation. But looking at post Dobbs state elections it is just as likely, if not more likely, that we would get a nationwide pro-abortion law.
Following Dobbs, all the pro-life groups’ statements that I saw were grateful to Trump for the overturning of Roe and returning the issue to the states.
A commenter on a previous CWR article on this issue said that if you were for all or nothing, you had better be prepared to get nothing.
The Constitution says nothing about abortion. Until Roe v Wade, it was a State issue. The Supreme.Court, via the Dobbs Decision, kicked the issue back to the states. You are not going to get a national abortion ban.
With regards to state bans, the majority of the public does not agree with a total ban with no exceptions for rape or incest. It might be wise to go along with this. Half a loaf is better than none.