Abortion opponents still hope for federal action from President Trump

Carol Tobias, president of Citizens Right to Life, said of the nationwide ban, “We don’t have the votes in Congress to do it.” “So we’re looking at more practical and effective things that a pro-life executive branch can actually do.”

Trump’s actions during his first administration provide partial guidance. He and his officials have banned certain federal funds from being spent on organizations that refer patients to abortions, reinstated a ban on U.S. aid to foreign nongovernmental groups that promote abortion as a choice, and sought to enable women, insurance companies, and employers to refuse to provide abortions. If it goes against our beliefs, we will cover that step.

“I would be very happy if he came back and focused on those things again,” Tobias said.

Asked about Trump’s support for federal action on abortion beyond the bill, Trump campaign spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said Trump “couldn’t be more clear.” These are decisions made by the people of each state. ”

President Trump has oscillated between touting and downplaying his central role in ending it. Roe vs. Wade Appoint three conservative justices to the Supreme Court. While the former president is proud of his accomplishments, he said he is also acutely aware of the political implications for the Republican Party, whether the vote goes up or down. In the months leading up to his video announcement on Monday, Trump consulted privately with his advisers on the idea of ​​a 16-week ban, but ultimately decided to make abortion a national issue, according to people who spoke with him. . Advisors and other Republicans emphasized the political risks of supporting national standards.

Biden has focused on abortion in his re-election campaign, blaming Trump for unpopular regulations enacted after the election.egg. Voters have repeatedly supported abortion rights in state-level referendums, and recent court decisions in Florida and Arizona that allowed some of the nation’s strictest bans to go into effect in 2024 is helping to keep this issue at the forefront.

Democrats emphasized that they have not ruled out President Trump signing a nationwide abortion ban. said in a statement this week, and some opponents of the procedure remain hopeful that President Trump will approve an anti-abortion bill.

But conservatives acknowledge the hurdles to passing federal abortion legislation are high, given the potential for voter backlash and the need for 60 votes in the Senate to overcome a filibuster.

Some potential actions are laid out in a lengthy guide published by Project 2025, a conservative initiative led by the Heritage Foundation that recommends policies and personnel to the next president. The chapter on the Department of Health and Human Services, written by former Trump administration official Roger Severino, focuses primarily on changes to abortion policy that the next president may enact through federal agencies.

Severino argues that the decades-old federal approval of mifepristone, a key part of medical abortion, was flawed and is calling on future administrations to rescind the approval. , such a drastic step would face legal hurdles. The Food and Drug Administration could also place restrictions on the pills, Severino wrote, by, for example, reinstating a requirement that patients obtain them in person rather than by mail.

The Trump campaign did not respond to questions about the candidate’s position on revoking approval of the abortion pill and mifepristone.

Anti-abortion activist Abby Johnson said Trump’s appointment is key: “All of us in the movement are looking to Christian conservatives.”

egg It remained the law of the land during Trump’s term, limiting the actions he could take regarding abortion. But abortion opponents thought there was much to celebrate.

President Trump reinstates the “Mexico City Policy” (critics call it the “global gag rule”), which bans federal funding to foreign nongovernmental organizations that “perform or actively promote” abortion. and expanded it. Republican administrations since Ronald Reagan have adopted this rule, but Democratic presidents have repealed it.

The Trump administration also prohibited federal family planning funds from being donated to organizations that refer patients for abortions, among other restrictions. This has affected organizations such as Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest provider of reproductive health services, and sparked legal battles. The Supreme Court dismissed the case after the Biden administration reversed course.

President Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services also focused on what advocates call “conscience protections” for health care workers who oppose performing abortions. Critics argued that this approach would compromise care, allowing paramedics to refuse to transport women who violate their religious or moral beliefs, for example.

In response to President Trump’s Monday statement, many anti-abortion activists emphasized that the federal government has a role in abortion, regardless of the fate of domestic law.

Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life, shared a long thread of action items on social media: Appoint supporters at the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health and Welfare, etc. Reversing a long list of Biden-era policies. Directs the Department of Education to stop distributing abortion pills on college campuses.

“Today’s Trump statement is complete,” Hawkins wrote. “If we win in November, it’s time for the pro-life and conservative movement to list what it can do to protect babies and mothers from the predatory abortion industry.”

Michelle Boorstein contributed to this report.