advocacy

HHS Investigates 13 States for Requiring Health Care Providers to Cover Abortion

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced it is investigating thirteen states for “allegedly coercing health care entities to provide coverage of, or pay for, abortion contrary to conscience.”

The HHS Office for Civil Rights argues such state requirements violate the Weldon Amendment, a 2004 law that protects the religious and conscience rights of physicians and health care professionals, hospitals, health insurance plans and other health care organizations that do not support abortion. 

The amendment prohibits federal funds from going to programs or state or local governments that discriminate against these individuals and groups. 

Director of the HHS Office for Civil Rights Paula Stannard explained: 

OCR launches these investigations to address certain states’ alleged disregard of, or confusion about, compliance with the Weldon Amendment. 

Under the Weldon Amendment, health care entities, such as health insurance issuers and health plans, are protected from state discrimination for not paying for, or providing coverage of, abortion contrary to conscience. Period.

HHS is putting these states on notice for violating religious freedom with their abortion coverage mandates: California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.

Many of them have already faced lawsuits from Chrisian organizations fighting their unconstitutional abortion mandates, including: 

• In 2017 New York created a statewide abortion mandate requiring employers to cover abortifacients and even surgical abortions in their health plans. Becket, a religious freedom legal firm, fought on behalf of ministries’ religious freedom, as the state attempted to force nuns and other religious organizations to cover the cost of abortionsbefore the state finally backed down. 

• A Washington state law, SB 6219, the “Reproductive Parity Act,” forces churches to cover elective abortions in health insurance plans. Alliance Defending Freedom filed suit on behalf of Cedar Park Assembly of God of Kirkland and has been battling for the church’s conscience protections for six years now. 

• Thomas More Society filed a lawsuit challenging an Illinois law “requiring all health insurance policies sold in the state to provide coverage for chemical and surgical abortions, with no exemptions, even for churches.” 

Scripture is clear that God created humans in His image: 

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. … 

So God created man in his own image,
    in the image of God he created him;
    male and female he created them.

And God blessed them. (Genesis 1:26-28)

Every individual ever conceived bears that image; in some mysterious way, each one of us is a “copy” or “graphic image” of the Creator. Christians have always believed that humans are unique in all creation, a visible representation of God. 

From its very beginning, the church condemned abortion as murder. The government should not attempt to force Christians to participate in grievous sin, and it shouldn’t take Christian groups thousands of dollars, countless hours and great effort to fight infringements of our First Amendment right to religious freedom. 

We’re grateful that the Department of Health and Human Services is pushing back against states that advocate the destruction of human life and trample on religious freedom. 

Related articles and resources: 

Counseling Consultation & Referrals

Court Rules Against Little Sisters of the Poor, Again

Dealing With Unplanned Pregnancy

The Great Christian Tradition of Protecting Preborn Babies and Opposing Abortion

The History of Christianity and Abortion

I’m Pregnant, Now What?

A Look at Life-Affirming Federal Policy Changes

My Choice Network

New York Ends Fight to Force Nuns to Pay for Abortions

Pro-life Answers to Pro-choice Arguments

Pro-Life Supporters Can Never Compromise on the Issue of Life

Resources: Hope & Healing After Abortion

Right to Life Michigan Sues Over Law Requiring Hiring of Pro-Abortion Employees

Reverend Jesse Jackson’s Uneven Evolution on Life

The death of the Reverend Jesse Jackson on Tuesday at the age of 84 at his home in Chicago has obviously garnered headlines as he’s being remembered as a “Charismatic Champion of Civil Rights.”

He was actually born Jesse Louis Burns to a 16-year-old Greenville, South Carolina high school student known for her singing abilities. His biological father, Noah Louis Robinson, was twice as old as his mother and married to another woman at the time of his birth. 

Those circumstances were long a point of embarrassment for Reverend Jackson. His mother eventually married, but having been rejected by his birthfather and being distant with his stepfather took its toll. It’s been suggested he may have compensated by being socially aggressive. A high school English teacher characterized him as a “uncommonly nervy little fellow, never abashed at all.” 

After graduating from college, Jesse became active in the Civil Rights movement, volunteered to work with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and eventually enrolled in Chicago Theological Seminary. He was later ordained. The Reverend Jackson was with Dr. King when he was assassinated in 1968. 

However liberal or progressive his theological training, it wasn’t all that surprising at the time that Jesse Jackson opposed the legalization of abortion in 1973. Speaking to “Jet” magazine, the minister declared:

“Abortion is genocide. Anything growing is living … If you got the thrill to set the baby in motion and you don’t have the will to protect it, you’re dishonest…” 

Four years later, Reverend Jackson likened abortion to the evils of slavery. Referencing the dehumanization of the preborn, he said, “The name has changed, but the game remains the same.” He then added, “It takes three to make a baby: a man, a woman, and the Holy Spirit.” 

But then came electoral politics and his decision to run for president in 1984 and again in 1988. As a candidate in 1984, he claimed he supported freedom of choice yet was somehow “not pro-abortion.”

In 1988, he declared, “It is not right to impose private, religious and moral positions on public policy.”

Yet, back in 2005, Reverend Jackson joined pro-life advocates in opposing the court-forced starvation of Terri Schiavo – a critically-ill Florida woman who was on life support for 15 years. 

After the death of Jackson was announced, Bobby Schindler, Terri’s brother, recalled how the civil rights leader had advocated for his sister:

During the final days of my sister Terri Schiavo in March 2005, Rev. Jackson joined our family at the hospice facility in Pinellas Park, Florida, to offer his prayers and support. At a time of deep sorrow and intense national attention, his presence brought encouragement and reminded us — and the country — that Terri’s life had inherent dignity and worth.

He also reached out to Jeb Bush, who was the Governor of Florida at the time, urging him to intervene and stop what was happening to Terri. Rev. Jackson stood publicly with our family during Terri’s unjust and inhumane death.

We remain grateful for his compassion, courage, and willingness to stand with us during those painful two weeks. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and to all who mourn his passing.

Jesse Jackson was right to oppose abortion in the 1970s, of course – and it was welcomed when he came to the Mrs. Schiavo’s side in 2005. What happened in between is a tragic testimony to a lost opportunity, seemingly motivated by a raw political calculus. Innocent children are not well-served by politicians more concerned with trying to win an election than with their welfare.

Perhaps the Reverend Jackson’s story can stand as a reminder that it’s never right to support what is wrong and that forfeiting one’s moral platform carries significant consequences.

Taxpayer Money Should Never Go to Planned Parenthood For Any Reason Ever

It might surprise you to learn that the Trump administration has restored millions of dollars in funding to pro-abortion groups, including Planned Parenthood.

Last spring, federal monies designated for the “Title X Family Planning Program” had been frozen — a move widely celebrated by pro-life advocates. The federal program, which dates to 1970, is a welfare subsidy that ostensibly offers “family planning services” to low-income individuals. Groups who facilitate these offerings include the abortion giant Planned Parenthood.

Advocates for the program claim that the federal funds provide critical services for the poor — birth control, sexually transmitted disease testing, cancer screenings, etc. 

Yet, dollars are fungible, and the prospect of providing any amount of money, let alone tens of millions of dollars, to groups that champion and celebrate the slaughter of innocent lives is deeply disturbing and objectionable.

When Trump administration officials froze the money last year, they suggested the groups were in possible violation of numerous laws, including servicing illegal aliens and engaging “in widespread practices across hiring, operations, and patient treatment that unavoidably employ race in a negative manner.”

Not surprisingly, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on behalf of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association demanding that grants worth upwards of $65.8 million be restored to Planned Parenthood and the other groups earmarked for the funds. 

According to the lawsuit, the dollars were set to be distributed to 865 service sites thatare treating 842,000 individuals.

The lawsuit was dropped after the funding was restored, apparently in December. Administration officials have not responded to requests to explain their decision. But Clare Coleman, who heads up the National Family Planning group that championed the legal action, claimed officials were guilty of “illegally” withholding “vital family planning funds.”

At the core of the problem is a broken system that can tie the hands of government officials who may want to stop feeding the abortion machine but seem helpless in stopping it. 

Kristan Hawkins, who serves as president of Students for Life, is calling on the government to “debar” Planned Parenthood. Basically, through legislation and policies they would ban the abortion behemoth from contracting with the federal government. 

“Planned Parenthood needs a full DOGE experience, of evaluating them for fraud and for all the allegations of failure to report sex crimes or operating a racist work environment, to name only a few of the charges recently made,” Hawkins said.

Another tactic that could slow and stop any federal monies from going to such groups would be to reinstate “The Protect Life Rule” which was enacted during President Trump’s first term.

As drafted and enforced, it required any organization that received Title X funds not to provide abortions or refer patients for abortion. The Biden administration rescinded the rule in 2021.

President Trump ignited a firestorm earlier this month when he urged Republicans “to be a little flexible on Hyde” — an amendment that bans taxpayer dollars from funding abortion itself. At issue is Congress attempting to extend ObamaCare subsidies. A bill recently passed by the House didn’t include the Hyde protections. Its fate in the Senate remains uncertain. 

It’s a good thing when principled pro-lifers push back on legislators and a president otherwise friendly in so many ways to the pro-life cause. With the reversal of Roe in 2022, abortion remains a hot button issue at both the federal and state level. Some may have grown weary of the battle, but the fate of innocent lives remains at stake every single day. 

When it comes to our resolve concerning the defense of babies in the womb, the words of the 17th century German theologian Rupertus Meldenius comes to mind:

“In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”

The sanctity of life may be debated in a political realm, but it is a moral principle.

Just ahead of the annual “National March for Life,” please join us in praying that administration officials will either reinstate “The Protect Life Rule” or once and for all defund Planned Parenthood and stop the flow of taxpayer dollars to any group even remotely associated with abortion.

Disturbing Amounts of Aborted Fetal Remains Contaminating America’s Tap Water

The abortion pill, mifepristone, is potentially contaminating America’s tap water, the Daily Citizen recently reported. Now, recent data adds a disturbing new layer to this alarming issue.

A 2025 report from Liberty Counsel Action (LCA) estimates between 30 and 40 tons of aborted fetal remains – including human tissue, placenta, blood and chemical byproducts – are flushed into America’s wastewater each year.

For reference, this is equivalent to the weight of a fully loaded semi-truck.

In a Vigilant Fox broadcast, Abigail Forman, one of the report’s authors, commented:

Nearly 700,000 times a year in the U.S., women take abortion pills, flushing the resulting remains down toilets and into our public water systems.

Aborted fetuses, some up to two inches long, are being flushed down toilets, clogging pipes and traumatizing wastewater workers who find them trapped in treatment screens.

Employees of wastewater facilities should not be encountering such graphic remains, nor are these treatment centers equipped process human blood and tissues correctly. The LCA report notes:

Abortion providers issuing chemical abortion pills have been able to use wastewater treatment plants as their de-facto medical waste facilities for decades.

While a few states separately impose burial or cremation requirements for aborted children, “most states do not specifically regulate” aborted fetal remains disposal.

Due to treatment centers’ inability to properly sanitize water contaminated by this hazardous waste, Forman added that dangerous byproducts from both aborted babies and the mifepristone drug are likely present in all forms of our tap water.

Americans across the country are using this harmful water, polluted by death and chemicals, for bathing, drinking, cooking and cleaning on a daily basis.

This issue not only jeopardizes the American people’s health and correlates with rising infertility rates, but the flushing of fetal remains into our sewer system is utterly disrespectful towards the countless babies who have been denied their right to life. The LCA report states,

Liberty Counsel Action agrees that not only is further study needed, so also is dignified disposition of human remains.

Addressing this issue should unite all Americans.

Clean drinking water and human dignity should not be controversial.

Thankfully, several have stepped up to investigate this problem. As previously reported, Senator James Lankford and Congressman Josh Brecheen have urged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to investigate “the potential contaminant effects” of mifepristone in America’s tap water. 

More recently, however, Representative Brandon Gill and Senator Jim Banks have introduced “The Respectful Treatment of Unborn Remains Act.” According to a June 25 press release, the act would aim to:

Bar abortionists from disposing of aborted fetal remains in publicly owned water systems, including but not limited to federal, state, and locally controlled drains and pipes.

This legislation would restore dignity to the deceased unborn child and prevent health risks posed by medical waste contamination in public water reserves.

If passed, abortion providers found violating the law would face a fine and up to five years in prison. Notably, these penalties would not apply to the woman receiving the abortion.

Concerning the act, Congressman Gill commented to the Daily Wire,

Not only does abortion rob an unborn baby of their life, but abortionists further rob them of a dignified burial by carelessly discarding their fetal remains into public water systems — a disgusting and abhorrent practice.

This careless discard of human body parts signifies the depraved disregard for the sanctity of life at abortion clinics.

Beyond the moral outrage, introducing fetal remains into public water systems also poses a serious public health concern, potentially contaminating water sources.

I am proud to introduce a bill that restores some dignity after death, as part of the greater fight to protect all life from the evil of abortion.

While the EPA has not commented on this issue, the new bill has received support from several pro-life groups, including Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Priests for Life and Students for Life Action. Additionally, several House Representatives have cosponsored the bill.

As the LCA stated in their report, the issue of water sanitation and the dignity of human life should not be controversial.

The American people deserve better than contaminated tap water.

Women deserve better than the abortion pill.

And preborn babies robbed of their right to life deserve better than being flushed down the toilet. 

Related Articles and Resources

Focus on the Family: Pro-Life

Abortion Pill Chemicals May Be Contaminating America’s Tap Water

Federal Judge Rules Trump Administration Must Keep Funding Planned Parenthood

New Insights on the Dangers of the Abortion Pill

The Abortion Pill: How Does It Work?

Woman Nearly Dies from Abortion Pill, Story Reflects Disturbing EPPC Data

Here’s the Secret Pro-Abortion Activists Won’t Tell You About the Abortion Pill: It’s Dangerous

Emily’s Story: Pro-Life Supporters are More than ‘Pro-Birth’

“Pro-life.”

When you read this, what do you see? It might be the image of an ultrasound or pro-life events like the March for Life in Washington, D.C. Others may see a newborn wrapped in a cozy blanket.

But what happens to this baby after his or her birth?

Although the church does incredible work to care for children who have been granted their right to life, it feels as though the stereotypical pro-life movement is not often associated with advocacy measures for what comes after birth: the rest of a child’s life.

As a pro-life supporter, it frustrates me that these two discussions – the protection of preborn human life, and proper care for children after birth – do not always go hand-in-hand. While pro-life activists rightfully encourage healthy pregnancies and safe births, we must remember that the term “pro-life” also includes services such as safe foster homes and adoptions. In fact, a well-functioning foster care system could significantly reduce women’s felt “need” for abortions.

Tragically, many children who receive their right to life are born into horrible circumstances – abusive or neglectful homes, abandonment, families battling addiction, parents who lack resources to care for their child, the death or incarceration of a parent – the list goes on.

Terrible situations such as these have forced the removal of countless children from their families and warranted their placement in the foster care system. Unfortunately, the term “pro-life” does not typically prompt images of such scenarios.

In 2023, the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) estimated a total of 343,077 children in the United States foster care system. In 2023 alone, 175,283 children entered foster care, with 82% of these placement cases involving abuse and neglect.

While foster care has been a blessing to many children and families, the system is not perfect. As of 2023, 20% of children in the foster care system had spent at least 3 years waiting for either adoption or reunification with their families. Additionally, some choose to foster simply for the extra cash it provides, rather than because they genuinely care about the children in the system.

It is both devastating and difficult to imagine the individual children these statistics represent – boys and girls who were rightfully granted the chance to live, but removed from their biological families and thrown into circumstances beyond their control.

A very close friend of mine, Emily, represents just one of the thousands of children impacted by the foster care system. I recently had the honor of listening to Emily describe her moving experiences with foster care and adoption.

Her story demonstrates exactly why pro-life advocacy does not stop at birth.

Emily was born in 2003, the fifth out of nine children. Her parents did not have the resources to properly care for their family, and their house was crowded and dirty. Emily recalls her youngest sister “crawling around eating cat food and toilet paper” off the ground.

In 2010, Emily’s home was investigated after police found her disabled brother wandering their neighborhood unattended on two separate occasions. As a result, Emily and several of her siblings entered the foster care system due to neglect.

Emily was only six years old when she was removed from her family.

While her two-year-old sister was placed in a stable, loving foster home, Emily and her three-year-old sister lived a very different story – one that no child should ever have to tell.

The two girls remained in their first foster home for one year. During these twelve months, Emily remembers being locked in her bedroom or out of the house for hours at a time, forcing her to use the bathroom outside.

She also recalls her foster mother taking away a book the girls had received from their biological mom. It was never returned. 

During this time, Emily and her sister were often taken back home to visit their parents.

“I didn’t understand why I could see them, but not live with them,” she said.

One day, after waiting until her foster mother had left for the grocery store, Emily called 911 for help. She remembers feeling “scared, confused and wanting to leave.”

When the police arrived at her foster home, they told seven-year-old Emily there was nothing they could do to help her.

A year after their initial placement, Emily and her sister were “dropped off at a friend’s house” so their foster mother could go on vacation. These people were not foster care certified, and when Emily’s social worker found out, the two girls were immediately removed from their first foster care placement.

The sisters were then relocated to a temporary placement, where they stayed for four months before transitioning to a more permanent foster home.

Around this time, Emily was given the option of returning to her biological parents’ home or pursuing adoption. Ultimately, Emily chose adoption.

When describing her third foster care placement, Emily noted she had “nothing bad to say about that place.” It was in this home that Emily and her sister were first introduced to Christianity and ultimately to their adoptive parents.

Little did Emily know that her Sunday school teacher at church would soon provide a permanent, loving home for three girls in need of a family.

After spending 27 months in foster care, Emily and her two sisters moved into their new and final home on October 18, 2012.

Initially, nine-year-old Emily didn’t believe this arrangement was truly permanent, but the girls soon integrated with their new family. They began calling their parents “mom and dad” early on, and were lovingly embraced by their three older siblings.

Today, Emily works as an Early Childhood Educator, teaching a preschool class at a daycare. She explained how her background has allowed her to resonate and sympathize with children in her class who have difficult home lives or struggle with certain issues.

“I had it pretty good overall,” Emily said. “Some kids have it way worse.”

Emily’s story demonstrates that the battle for children’s rights doesn’t stop at birth. As Christians, we are obligated to advocate for children who are alive as a result of the births we have fought for – especially children who have spent years in the foster care system, waiting for either adoption or reunification with their biological families.

Contrary to the stereotype, pro-life supporters are more than just “pro-birth.” We care for a child’s entire life – from conception until the very end.

When I read the words “pro-life,” I still picture the ultrasounds, marches and newborns. But now, I also see faces of children who were given the chance to live, yet are trapped in situations beyond their control.

I see faces like Emily’s – the freckled redhead who has not only become one of my closest friends, but has also deeply influenced my own life with her powerful story.

Ultimately, I see countless lives we can change by providing safe foster homes and adoptions for children in need of Christ’s love.

So, I ask you to read these two words again: “Pro-life.”

What do you see now?

Related Articles and Resources:

Wait No More

Adoption From Foster Care

Faces of Foster Care

Resources: Fostering or Adopting Children From Difficult Backgrounds

Focus on the Family: Pro-Life