Analysis

Biden calls for Roe to be codified, labels protections for preborn humans ‘extreme’

During his State of the Union speech on Tuesday, President Biden called laws that protect preborn human beings “extreme,” and vowed to veto legislation that would prohibit the killing of undelivered children in the womb. He also called for Roe v. Wade, which was overturned in June, to be codified in law.

No constitutional right to abortion

“Congress must restore the right the Supreme Court took away last year and codify Roe v. Wade to protect every woman’s constitutional right to choose,” he said. “The vice president and I are doing everything we can to protect access to reproductive health care and safeguard patient privacy.”

Abortion advocates continue to use this phrase — “constitutional right to abortion” — yet there is no legitimate right to kill innocent humans, either in or out of the womb. And in fact, the Constitution does not determine that preborn children should be excluded from the umbrella of “personhood,” and states have a duty to protect all human beings and act for the common good of society. Induced abortion deliberately kills innocent humans and causes psychological and physical harm to women, ultimately causing significant harm to families and society. The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization made clear that the constitution does not confer a “right” to abortion.

Regarding protecting abortion access, Biden may have been referring to the Women’s Health Protection Act, which Congress has previously attempted to pass. This piece of legislation treats women as inferior to men without the ability to kill their preborn children, and would remove pro-life protections that are currently in place — including parental notification laws and laws protecting preborn children from abortion after viability. These pro-life laws are ones that the majority of Americans want.

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So-called ‘extreme’ laws

Biden added, “But already, more than a dozen states are enforcing extreme abortion bans. Make no mistake; if Congress passes a national abortion ban, I will veto it.”

The pro-life laws Biden claims to be “extreme” are common sense laws supported by most Americans to protect preborn children from the violent deaths of abortion procedures which work by starvation, dismemberment, and cardiac arrest. The 2023 Knights of Columbus-Marist Poll showed that 79% of Americans do not want abortion on demand through all nine months of pregnancy, as Biden is calling for. In fact, though 61% of those surveyed consider themselves to be “pro-choice,” 69% of those polled want abortion to be significantly restricted.

Since Roe fell, allowing states to determine their own laws regarding abortion, about 20 states have passed laws to protect nearly all preborn children from induced abortion — though six are not currently in effect. These laws limiting abortion are in agreement with majority views on abortion. Induced abortion — the intentional killing of the preborn child prior to delivery — is an extreme ‘solution’ to the familial and socioeconomic challenges that women and families face. Induced abortion does not include miscarriage treatment, emergency pre-term delivery, treatment for ectopic pregnancy, or any procedure that is necessary to save the life of the mother that does not involve the intentional killing of the child. States with laws protecting the preborn do not outlaw medical treatments to preserve the life of a child’s mother.

Forced participation in abortion

Biden also encouraged Congress to “pass the bipartisan Equality Act,” which would force Americans to participate in abortion. It would end long-standing conscience protections for doctors and force taxpayers to fund abortion.

“Going beyond destroying the longstanding and bipartisan Hyde Amendment, which prevents federal funds from being used to pay for abortion, the Equality Act also eliminates all religious protections,” said Live Action founder and president Lila Rose. “This means no doctor that serves Medicaid patients will be allowed to disagree, no hospital that accepts Medicare will be allowed to refuse, and no citizen will be able to stop her hard-earned money from paying for the deaths of the youngest and most vulnerable people in our society. This legislation is a club to punish dissent.”

Biden followed up his push to pass the Equality Act by stating, “Our strength is not just the example of our power, but the power of our example. Let’s remember the world is watching.”

Nothing is a more improper and horrific abuse of “power” than the violent killing of innocent and defenseless human beings.

The exploitation of tragic child loss

Amanda and Josh Zurawski of Texas were in attendance at the SOTU address. They experienced a traumatic miscarriage in 2022 that included apparent medical negligence on the part of their medical team. Abortion advocates claim that Amanda’s dangerous sepsis infection was caused by pro-life laws in Texas, but in reality, doctors failed to provide her with proper treatment for the condition known as incompetent cervix, which causes up to 25% of second-trimester miscarriages. There are treatments for incompetent cervix, and induced abortion is not one of those treatments. Her doctors also failed to monitor her for an infection, sending her home instead of admitting her to the hospital.

Dr. Christina Francis, board member and CEO-elect of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists explained to Live Action News:

As an OB/GYN, I have taken care of many women with cervical insufficiency. It can be a heartbreaking situation and my heart goes out to this couple. While many details about this particular patient’s clinical situation are missing, elective abortion is not a treatment for cervical insufficiency.

Many times, if infection is ruled out, women can be treated with a stitch, called a cerclage, which is placed in her cervix to hold the unborn baby in until he or she can survive outside the mother. An attentive physician should be able to detect signs of infection early and, if present, provide the appropriate treatment –  which would be induction of labor. This treatment is not prevented by any abortion restriction in the country. 

Abortion actually carries the risk of causing an incompetent cervix in future pregnancies.

It is incomprehensible that Zurawski’s doctors failed her so greatly that she lost her baby girl and nearly lost her own life. And it is inexcusable that President Biden and his fellow pro-abortion politicians would exploit this couple’s tragedy and play on women’s fears and America’s sympathies in order to push for legalized abortion through all nine months of pregnancy for any reason. Perpetuating such exploitation can turn deadly for women and children.

An example of what Biden intends for pro-lifers

As Rose stated, the Equality Act would create a “club to push dissent.” Pro-life activist Mark Houck is an example of how this treatment of fellow Americans who stand against abortion is already playing out. Houck, who attended the SOTU, was shocked and his young family traumatized when federal agents raided his home in September following an altercation he had with an abortion facility escort who had threatened his son.

Local officials arrived on the scene after the altercation and decided not to arrest anyone involved. The escort did file a private criminal complaint, but it was thrown out when, three different times, the escort failed to appear in court. However, the Department of Justice (DOJ) became involved, and Houck’s home was raided by 15-20 armed FBI agents, arresting him in front of his wife and children. He was charged with violating the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act but was acquitted in January of this year.

Despite the deep support for a culture of death that he showcased during his address, Biden called on Congress “to restore the soul of this nation.” Enshrining the slaughtering of innocent and defenseless human beings through abortion will only further destroy the souls of those forced to participate in it and of the United States itself.

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