It’s no secret the pro-life movement has taken it on the chin over the past year. The latest punch is the nomination of arguably pro-abortion Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as secretary of Health and Human Services, an important position in implementing pro-life policies throughout the federal government.
Pro-life people are publicly and privately conflicted over the nomination for obvious reasons. Some have spoken out, while some remain silent. Many pro-lifers believe Kennedy’s track record on life is largely inconsistent with the values they hold dear.
The Constitution makes it clear that the Senate is much more than a rubber stamp for matters that come before it. Senators must provide their “advice and consent” on the president’s nominees, which in this case will require them to question Kennedy carefully and comprehensively on abortion, forcing him to clarify what kind of policies they can expect from him should he be confirmed following his public hearings.
While pro-lifers will always be proud of the Trump-Pence administration’s track record on life, which demonstrated a serious and continuous commitment to advancing pro-life policies, the selection of an unrepentant Kennedy threatens to jeopardize President Donald Trump’s legacy and disastrously undermine the fight for life over the next four years.
The Trump-Pence HHS took a bold stand for life and created the blueprint for succeeding pro-life administrations. As the most pro-life administration in U.S. history, it nominated three justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, terminated contracts with companies that used aborted babies for research, took on California for violating federal law, and issued regulations protecting the conscience rights of medical professions along with a plethora of other actions all aimed at restoring respect for life.
Can pro-lifers trust Kennedy to follow the Trump-Pence HHS blueprint?
As a presidential candidate and for much of his public life, Kennedy held a radical stance, supporting abortion on demand up until birth. This position is profoundly at odds with the pro-life movement, the coalition of voters that elected Trump, and the first Trump administration’s unmatched track record in defense of life. While Kennedy has recently made overtures to pro-life leaders, many pro-lifers remain concerned over where he truly stands on life.
While some say Dobbs returned all abortion policy to the states, this is not true. The secretary of HHS holds immense power in shaping policies on abortion: matters of life and death for the unborn.
Decisions about federal funding for Planned Parenthood, regulations governing the abortion pill, and insurance coverage for abortion are all made within the purview of HHS. Can pro-lifers trust Kennedy to make the right choice?
HHS’s choices are not theoretical. They affect real lives.
Without a staunchly pro-life leader, the pro-abortion deep state at HHS could easily thwart the Trump administration’s attempt to return a reverence for life to the center of American life.
Whatever the merits of Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, they cannot outweigh the necessity of appointing an HHS secretary who unequivocally defends the rights of the unborn. The role demands a leader with a proven commitment to life, someone who will champion policies that protect the vulnerable and resist the pervasive cultural and political pressures to compromise.
Pro-lifers should make their voices heard and their demands felt. If Kennedy fails to embrace commonsense pro-life positions, Trump should look elsewhere to fill the position. Again, senators must push Kennedy to flesh out his beliefs on life.
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Trump has always had a deep bench of pro-life leaders to draw from, individuals with the courage, conviction, and expertise to lead HHS in a manner consistent with pro-life principles. It is imperative that he select a nominee who will uphold his legacy on life, not jeopardize it.
Unless Kennedy can assuage senators and the millions of pro-lifers they represent of his stance on life, the Senate should hold his nomination. The stakes are too high, and the lives of countless unborn children too precious to entrust to anything other than bold, unwavering leadership on life.
Tim Chapman is president of Advancing American Freedom.