In 2022, Congress passed and the President signed into law the “Pregnant Workers Fairness Act” (PWFA). While this bill was intended to accommodate pregnant women in their places of work, the Biden Administration is taking it leaps and bounds farther by advancing radical gender and abortion ideology.
Nowhere in the PWFA does it refer to abortion.
The PWFA did however instruct the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to develop a rule so businesses would know how the legislation applies to them. In response, Biden’s EEOC used this opportunity to force businesses to provide coverage for abortion travel leave.
Even the Senate Democrat lead sponsor of this legislation, Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), stated from the Senate floor that the EEOC “could not . . . issue any regulation that requires abortion leave, nor does the act permit the EEOC to require employers to provide abortion leave in violation of State law.”
But the Biden Administration wants to do it anyway.
But that’s not all. Additionally, in the proposed rule, the Biden Administration does not associate “pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions” with being a woman. EEOC, in fact, says explicitly that the only reason it uses “woman” is because it is quoting other sources, not because it has chosen to use that word. It is as if the administration feels the need to apologize for using the word “woman” in relation to pregnancy.
One of those pregnancy “related medical conditions” that supposedly isn’t related to being a woman? Lactation. We informed you when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released guidance . Now, the EEOC is explicitly including lactation in its proposed rule and has chosen not to relate it to women. The bottom line: it is plausible that businesses would be forced to accommodate men seeking to “chestfeed” in the workplace. This is just one example where the Biden Administration has pushed gender ideology into even well-intentioned legislation.
Only women can get pregnant and give birth. Only women can breastfeed. Businesses should not be forced to provide abortion leave.
Let the Biden Administration know that this is NOT controversial.
Sincerely,
Ruth Ward
Director, Government Affairs
Just this month, Pennsylvania’s Democrat Governor Josh Shapiro announced he is terminating the Commonwealth’s 30-year contract with a network of pregnancy resource centers, mother’s homes, adoption agencies, and charities. For women, this means less ready access to the support they need – and for the organizations impacted, it means less funding to provide support to those same moms in need. This is tragic for the women of Pennsylvania. (If you are in Pennsylvania, you can still send a message to your legislators by clicking HERE.)
But let’s be honest, this is straight out of the Biden administration’s playbook. They have consistently made it their mission to punish pregnancy resource centers and those states that support a pregnant woman’s choice to carry her child.
This year, Biden’s Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it would suspend Oklahoma and Tennessee’s Title X funding—totaling approximately $12 million—because of the states’ pro-life laws.
Title X funds grants for organizations that serve low income families by providing services such as pregnancy counseling. Congress has annually stated that these funds cannot underwrite abortions. Yet, Biden’s HHS continues to subvert federal and state laws with the end goal of funding abortions. This move is nothing short of a willful attempt to bully pro-life states and shift these funds over to Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry.
Thankfully, members of the federal Oklahoma delegation (including Senator James Lankford) sent a letter to HHS in June to shed light on the travesty of cutting this funding. Congressional members in the House and Senate have also just introduced legislation that would end the discrimination of pro-life pregnancy resource centers seeking Title X funding.
Pregnancy resource centers are an irreplaceable part of our communities – each year they provide tens of thousands with millions of dollars’ worth of diapers, clothes, formula, parenting classes, and more. Approximately 60% of the women who come to pregnancy centers initially considering abortion choose to bring their baby to term. Also, 84% of women that have been previously pressured to abort choose to bring their baby to term.
This loss in millions in funding for pregnancy resource centers will result in more abortions and less support for women, babies, and families. Please continue to pray that these women choose life and that states stand strong against the administration’s attempts to exclude pregnancy resource centers from receiving federal funds.
For Life,
Ruth Ward
Director, Government Affairs
Dear Friends,
Along with our allies at Pennsylvania Family, we have an urgent request for your help.
Shortly after signing his first ever budget, Governor Shapiro announced he would be terminating the Commonwealth’s 30-year contract with a network of pregnancy resource centers, mother’s homes, adoption agencies, and charities. We need your help to prevent this!
Pregnancy resource centers are an irreplaceable part of our communities – each year they provide tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians with millions of dollars’ worth of diapers, clothes, formula, parenting classes, and more. Approximately 60% of the women who come to pregnancy centers like Real Alternatives initially considering abortion choose to bring their baby to term. Also, 84% of women that have been previously pressured to abort choose to bring their baby to term.
This loss in millions in funding will result in more abortions and less support for women, babies, and families. Continued attacks on pregnancy resource centers hurt vulnerable women and line the pockets of the abortion industry.
While the Shapiro administration has already signed the basic state budget, the necessary fiscal codes, which direct budget appropriations, are still being negotiated. Your legislators need to know now, more than ever, how important pregnancy resource centers are.
Along with our friends at Pennsylvania Family, we urge you to tell your State Representatives and State Senator to do everything in their power to ensure pregnancy resource center are funded so they can continue their lifesaving work. The support they provide is absolutely critical to mothers and babies in our After Roe world—please join us in working to ensure life is protected and vulnerable mothers and provided for in Pennsylvania!
Sincerely,
Joseph Kohm III
Director, Public Policy
Bria Roddewig was already a mother of four when she discovered she was pregnant with her fifth child. She had not planned for this pregnancy, and she felt alone and scared. She needed help through this difficult time.
That’s when she found Options Clinic, her local pregnancy resource center that offers free or low-cost support to women and men facing unplanned pregnancies. Options Clinic gave Bria a holistic understanding of her situation, and more importantly, hope. They showed her that she was not alone, and that her child was a precious gift.
Options Clinic is one of the 3,000 pregnancy resource centers in the US that provide compassionate care and practical assistance to mothers facing unplanned or difficult pregnancies. They are part of a larger pro-life movement that seeks to protect the dignity and rights of every human being, from conception to natural death.
While Bria welcomed her fifth child into the world with the support she needed, pro-life policies in her home state of Montana were changing. The Montana Family Foundation has been working tirelessly to protect life in Montana since the overturn of Roe v. Wade. In today’s live video, Bria Roddewig and Derek Oestreicher of Montana Family Foundation share how pregnancy resource centers and pro-life policy work together to save lives and protect families.
TUNE IN TODAY on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube
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At Family Policy Alliance, our vision is a nation where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive, and life is cherished. To stay up to date on the fight to protect families and learn how to take action, follow us on social media!
See you in the comments section!
Emma Rarden
Communications Specialist – Producer
P.S. Have you checked out our NEW podcast? We pick the brains of newsmakers and experts to break down what’s happening now on the issues YOU care about. With new episodes weekly, you’ll be up to date on all things that affect your family. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts.
This Saturday, June 24th, marks the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision that overturned the infamous Roe v. Wade decision from 1973. Roe was the case where the Court invented a constitutional “right” to abortion—resulting in handcuffing states that desired to protect the lives of their youngest citizens.
Since then, around half of the states moved to enact strong pro-life protections, while the other half enacted increasingly radical laws promoting abortion-on-demand even up through birth. We are indeed a nation divided on this issue.
But we, and social conservatives nationwide, are not divided—that’s the encouraging news today! To celebrate the anniversary of Dobbs, we released to the media some preliminary results from our Social Conservative Straw Poll revealing that social conservatives stand together proudly pro-life.
Check out our BREAKING NEWS press release revealing those early results below, and join us in celebrating one year of our nation being free from the tyranny of Roe v. Wade!
Some experts estimate that nearly 100,000 children are alive in America today because of the end of Roe. Praise God for that and for these precious lives!
We are proud to be part of the nearly 40% in America who identify as social conservative, and proud to stand with the 92% of those who are fighting for the lives of babies in the womb and their mothers.
If you have not yet taken the Social Conservative Straw Poll to add your voice, please do so today! Time is running out.
For Life,
Autumn Leva
Sr. Vice President, Strategy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 22, 2023
Dobbs Anniversary Approaches; Social Conservatives United on Abortion
92% of social conservatives believe abortion should not be legal in most cases
In the only straw poll for and by social conservatives exclusively, of 13,928 social conservatives who have taken the poll to-date, 92% of them confirm that abortion should never be legal or should only be allowed up to 6 weeks, with 66% of that group making no exceptions or making an exception only for the life of the mother. Family Policy Alliance is releasing these preliminary results in celebration of the one-year anniversary of the overturn of Roe v. Wade in the Supreme Court’s June 24, 2022, decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
Craig DeRoche, President and CEO for Family Policy Alliance responded to these overwhelmingly pro-life early results:
“Since the high Court correctly overturned Roe v. Wade, the President, the abortion industry and the media have been spinning a narrative that abortion is a divisive issue, especially among party leaders.
“But our Social Conservative Straw Poll confirms that for social conservatives, abortion is a uniting issue. Either everyone matters or no one matters. Abortion is a a grave human rights violation against both mother and child. We will continue to compete with the abortion industry for every precious human life—and we will win.
“Social conservatives represent one of the nation’s largest voting blocks at 38%. Social conservatives are finding their voice, and speaking together with clarity — even as division and confusion creep into other political groups. That unified voice carries significant weight on election day, and we have proven that candidates who stand with conviction against abortion can carry the day in the voting booths.
“Glenn Youngkin’s win in Virginia was just the beginning. We predict the 2024 election will be the ‘year of the social conservative’ as voters prioritize issues like abortion, parental rights, and protecting children from sexualization and transgender extremism.”
The Social Conservative Straw Poll will continue to run and gather results. Family Policy Alliance will release the final results on the question of abortion, as well as who social conservatives favor for President in 2024, this summer.
Social conservatives are still able to take the Social Conservative Straw Poll at Social Conservative Straw Poll.
Media Contact:
Robert Noland, (719) 308-2822, Media@FamilyPolicyAlliance.com
###
Family Policy Alliance advances biblical citizenship and promotes public policy that protects religious freedom, families, and life.
Family Policy Alliance is sharing your concerns with the Biden Administration.
When the federal government proposes changes to its administrative rules, citizens have the chance to respond. Here at FPA, we’ve made it simple for you to submit your comments – and you’ve delivered! In five separate proposed rules, FPA provided a sample message and notified each of you that you could send in a response. Thousands of you responded! See below for the final tally of how many comments you submitted.
THANK YOU for letting the administration know your concerns with these rules. Each time you raise your voice, you make a difference.
FPA also submitted five in-depth comments of our own on these proposed rules that you can view below.
#1: CONSCIENCE RULE
In March, FPA submitted this comment to tell the administration that the Proposed Rule would open a pandora’s box for medical professionals who refuse to perform abortions. We also noted that the rule would strip strong conscience protections that the Trump administration established for medical professionals.
Comments YOU submitted: 6,277
#2: REJECTING RELIGIOUS CAMPUS ORGANIZATIONS RULE
Also in March, FPA submitted this comment to the Department of Education when they released a rule that would unfairly leave religious student organizations at risk of being compelled to speak or operate under a standard outside of their core beliefs or even being completely removed from their campus.
Comments YOU submitted: 4,182
#3: CONTRACEPTION RULE
In April, FPA submitted this comment opposed to the administration’s actions to revoke protections for organizations with non-religious moral objections to Obamacare’s Contraception Mandate. This proposed rule would also create a contraception funding scheme without protections to keep funds from being diverted to organizations like Planned Parenthood.
Comments YOU submitted: 2,726
#4: TITLE IX RULE
In May, FPA submitted this comment in support of women and girls in sports, despite the administration’s attempt to force schools to include biological males in women’s sports. Thankfully, more than 20 states have passed bills to save girls’ sports, but the administration is now trying to sidestep those protections by this proposed rule.
Comments YOU submitted: 4,276
#5: HIPAA RULE
In June, FPA submitted this comment opposed to the administration’s attempts to redefine an unborn child as less than a human and reduce protections for women and children within the healthcare system. The rule would accomplish this by altering how doctors comply with HIPAA, the current law that protects patient privacy.
Comments YOU submitted: 4,986
For those of you counting, that’s a total of 22,447 comments!
The departments that release these proposed rules have a portal open for 30 to 60 days where the American public, including people like you and organizations like FPA, can make comments on rules.
It is extremely important that presidential administrations hear from people like you on how these rules will impact your everyday lives as they deliberate on how to finalize a proposed rule. We will continue to notify you of opportunities to speak out to the Biden Administration.
Please continue to stand, fight and make your voices heard!
DEADLINE APPROACHING
Comments on this alert must be submitted to the government
by 11:59 PM Friday, June 16th
See below how to make your voice heard today.
It’s the same old tune. The Biden Administration is releasing a rule saying one thing when in reality, the proposed rule does the exact opposite—this time to the detriment of women and children.
Health and Human Services is proposing a rule that would redefine an unborn child as less than a human and reduce protections for women and children within the healthcare system. It would do so by altering how doctors comply with HIPAA, the current law that protects patient’s privacy. The administration is proposing changes in the name of personal privacy, but it would ultimately circumvent state laws, allow for the exploitation of women and children, and devalue human life.
Fortunately, we have time to push back against this proposed rule before it is finalized. Please comment TODAY so that your voice can be heard!
If a doctor suspects that a woman is being forced to get an abortion by her trafficker or that a child’s gender transition surgery was illegally performed, this proposed rule would prevent that doctor from sharing these concerns with proper authorities. The administration also wants to define the term “person” to exclude unborn babies, devaluing human life when we know that a child has a beating heart by at least week 6 and can feel pain by at least week 15. Once again, the administration is finding ways to insist that an unborn child is “just a fetus” and not a full person deserving human rights.
All of these changes bring about great concern for those who want to increase protections for women and children, rather than weaken them. The proposed changes would create safe harbors for criminal behavior and allow for more abortions and gender-transition surgeries by creating a federal avenue to sidestep state law.
You can help stop this proposed rule from being finalized! Help protect women and preserve the innate value of unborn life by submitting your comment to the administration no later than Friday, June 16.
Sincerely,
Joseph Kohm, III
Director, Public Policy
Imagine this: In one wing of a hospital, a premature baby is placed on a ventilator. Under the same roof, a baby the same age is being aborted. Former respiratory therapist AJ Hurley saw this dichotomy firsthand, and it made him realize the urgency of ending abortion.
Now as the Director of Activism at Live Action, one of the nation’s leading pro-life advocacy groups, AJ has dedicated his career to saving the lives of the unborn. He’ll tell us his story as he went from working as a medical professional to a pro-life activist, the story of Baby Olivia, and how you can join him and Live Action in saving lives and ending abortion.
WATCH TODAY on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube!
(Or by clicking the image below)
1:00pm PT / 2:00pm MT / 3:00pm CT / 4:00pm ET
At Family Policy Alliance, our vision is a nation where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive, and life is cherished. To stay up to date on the fight to protect families and learn how to take action, follow us on social media!
See you in the comments section!
Emma Rarden
Communications Specialist- Producer
P.S. Have you checked out our NEW podcast? We pick the brains of newsmakers and experts to break down what’s happening now on the issues YOU care about. With new episodes weekly, you’ll be up to date on all things that affect your family. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts.
New book honors 50 pro-life leaders of the last 50 years
Last June, the fight to protect the lives of the unborn took a dramatic turn. Nearly 50 years after the Roe v. Wade decision made abortion legal on demand, it was finally overturned by the Supreme Court.
As anyone who is reading the headlines knows, that didn’t end the cultural and political battle over abortion. But for the first time in 50 years, states are now able to prohibit abortions, and many have done so, saving tens of thousands of lives.
How did Roe come to be overturned? That’s a significant question, especially when for so many years, the effort seemed discouraging at best and hopeless at worst.
A new book answers that question by looking at the lives of 50 pro-life leaders who tirelessly worked to bring about this life-saving progress.
Legacy of Life is a limited-edition commemorative table book containing 50 tributes written by 50 of America’s most respected national influencers honoring the greatest founders, builders, strategists, and innovators of the pro-life movement during the last 50 years. Each leader is honored with a tribute, personal photos, and a customized frame in this remarkable collection of inspiring life stories of resilience, bravery and commitment.
The book is in many ways a product of the alliance of state organizations that Family Policy Alliance hosts and serves. John Stemberger, President of the Florida Family Policy Council, is the book’s editor. FPA’s Craig DeRoche is a contributing author, as are several of our allied state family policy council leaders. Dr. Al Mohler, Professor Robert George, Michael Farris and Sen. Marco Rubio are among many other noted contributors.
Legacy of Life is not just history; it’s inspiration. Order your limited-edition copy today!
For life,
John Paulton
Vice President, State Alliances
Note: FPA receives no funds from the sale of this book, but we believe it’s important for pro-life Americans to know about the pro-life leaders who’ve gone before us as we continue the fight to protect life.
It was March of 1972 when Congress sent an Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the states. The text was originally purported by advocates to create legal equality of men and women, but now those left-wing activists have vocally used this to radically promote expanding abortion and other liberal agenda items.
The 1972 resolution required 38 states to ratify this Constitutional Amendment within seven years. Supporters failed to get enough states to support the amendment within the seven years. As a result, the ERA expired. Court decisions have since affirmed that the deadline has passed and the ERA of the 70s is dead.
But now, Democrats in Congress are ignoring the seven-year deadline and attempting to claim that the ERA has been ratified. (It hasn’t.) Their goal? Enshrine harmful gender and abortion policy into the U.S. Constitution, including ensuring that every state protects abortion on demand until birth. This is a direct assault on state legislatures that have fought hard to protect unborn life and minors seeking gender transitions.
Because “sex” is not defined in the legislation, this would open the door for expanding the definition to include “sexual orientation and gender identity”—something the Biden Administration has supported whenever possible.
How would the Equal Rights Amendment impact everyday Americans?
- Parental Rights. From social transitioning to classroom instructions, FPA has been sounding the alarm that liberal school boards and teacher unions are silently undermining parental rights, but the ERA would take this to another level by elevating gender ideology over the fundamental rights of parents to direct their child’s upbringing.
- Religious Freedom. People of faith, including those seeking to foster or adopt, could be forced to comply with a new definition of sex—even if this meant forcing them to choose between their faith and their livelihood.
- Conscience Rights. Medical professionals would be at risk of being fired if they do not perform abortion, life-altering gender transitions, or other morally objectionable procedures.
- Women’s Rights. The ERA would jeopardize sex-specific spaces for women in schools, prisons, sports, etc. It would erase protections for women who have fought for decades for anti-discriminatory policies.
Instead, Senators should cosponsor S. Res. 107, led by Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. This resolution recognizes the fact that the 1972 Equal Rights Amendment has expired and any attempt to revive it is not constitutional.
The ERA resolution is unnecessary and has broad ramifications for every aspect of society. Tell your Senators that the ERA is past its prime, and it is time to move on from 1972’s attempts to enshrine dangerous language into the Constitution.
Sincerely,
Ruth Ward
Director, Government Relations
