<;img src=";https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/believe-it-or-not-trumps-strategy-could-pave-the-way-for-more-pro-life-wins.jpg?id=51974734&;amp;width=1200&;amp;height=800&;amp;coordinates=31%2C0%2C11%2C0";>;<;br>;<;br>;<;p>;Donald Trumps controversial statement on abortion this week <;a href=";https://apnews.com/article/trump-abortion-2024-ban-7bf06e0856b88a710c79a6eb85cffa6a"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;made headlines<;/a>; for all sorts of reasons‚ including the fact that his position frustrated his opponents TV ad campaigns. Thats good. But the former president had plenty to say in his short video that deserves unpacking and that still sets him apart from the most pro-abortion administration in U.S. history.<;/p>;<;p>;At issue is a <;a href=";https://apnews.com/article/trump-abortion-ban-15-weeks-91a9e0ce87d11dff0fa761f327bd0566"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;15-week national abortion law<;/a>;‚ which Republicans such as Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) support. Just last month‚ Trump hinted he might support such a law. <;a href=";https://apnews.com/article/trump-abortion-ban-15-weeks-91a9e0ce87d11dff0fa761f327bd0566"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;The trouble is<;/a>;‚ the vast majority of abortions more than nine in 10 occur within <;a href=";https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/data_stats/abortion.htm"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;12 weeks of pregnancy<;/a>;.<;/p>;<;p>;While a four-month abortion limit in places like California‚ New York‚ or Maryland would be a win‚ at the federal level‚ it would conflict with better goals and call into question the courageous efforts of legislators across the country.<;/p>;<;p>;Worse‚ if a national 15-week ban ever went into effect‚ it could foster a European-style stalemate‚ where laws would be difficult if not impossible to change decades later.<;/p>;<;h2>;Always a federal problem<;/h2>;<;p>;<;a href=";https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2022/05/06/ruth-bader-ginsburg-roe-wade/"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;Ruth Bader Ginsburg criticized <;em>;Roe<;/em>;<;/a>;<;em>; <;/em>;for short-circuiting legislative efforts. The late Supreme Court justice was a huge abortion supporter. But she argued that by removing the question from the democratic process‚ the courts overreach undermined a political consensus. And the pro-life generation is not looking for consensus around allowing almost all abortions to continue.<;/p>;<;p>;Some pro-life proponents have argued for limiting abortions at four months as a consensus position. But if consensus is the goal‚ consider that the 15-week proposal <;a href=";https://www.studentsforlifeaction.org/new-students-for-life-of-america-sflaction-you-gov-poll-shows-the-youth-vote-open-to-pro-life-perspectives-supports-services-for-mothers-rejects-the-biden-administrations-radical-age/"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;polls as well as heartbeat laws<;/a>;‚ which begin around six weeks into gestation and would save significantly more lives. And yet‚ in refusing to articulate a gestational line at this time‚ Trump short-circuited the favored ad campaign narrative of the left at least for now.<;/p>;<;p>;Thats good news. President Trump did not define the goals of the pro-life movement as a late-term limit. But there are complications. And as you read this‚ Students for Life Action is reaching out to the president for clarification.<;/p>;<;p>;By overturning <;em>;Roe v. Wade<;/em>;‚ the Supreme Court opened the door to local‚ state‚ <;em>;and<;/em>; federal authorities to engage in the human rights issue of our day.<;/p>;<;p>;If weve learned anything from the Biden administration‚ its that abortion very much remains a federal issue. We are paying for and propping up abortion vendors at home and abroad. To give just a few examples:<;/p>;<;ul>;<;li>;From 2019 to 2021‚ Planned Parenthood received more than $1.7 billion including $90.4 million illegally obtained from the Paycheck Protection Program‚ according to a 2023 Government Accountability Office <;a href=";https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-106215"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;report<;/a>;. The international Planned Parenthood Federation received another $2 million‚ and four domestic regional abortion providers received more than $107 million. <;/li>;<;li>;A <;a href=";https://waysandmeans.house.gov/report-abortion-costs-u-s-economy-6-9-trillion/"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;separate report<;/a>; from the House Ways and Means Committee in 2022 demonstrated how abortion has cost the U.S. nearly <;em>;$7 trillion<;/em>; and the loss of almost <;em>;70 million babies<;/em>;‚ shrinking Americas potential population by 20%. <;/li>;<;li>;And in the 2014-2015 fiscal year‚ <;a href=";https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R44295/15"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;Planned Parenthood received $553.7 million <;/a>;in federal and state Medicaid reimbursements‚ or from government grants from the Department of Health and Human Services.<;/li>;<;/ul>;<;p>;The Democrats signature health care law‚ the <;a href=";https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.markey.senate.gov%2Fnews%2Fpress-releases%2Fsenator-markey-joins-senators-baldwin-blumenthal-in-introducing-legislation-to-restore-and-protect-americans-right-to-an-abortion-nationwide&;amp;data=05%7C01%7Ckhamrick%40studentsforlife.org%7Cd64d7576fb4c47ede14b08dbaf11949e%7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a%7C0%7C0%7C638296262289227573%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&;amp;sdata=kbCNUKRikYE7OfuPSW75Il5wC2MI6Eq%2FBX3hEcNu57I%3D&;amp;reserved=0"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;Womens Health Protection Act<;/a>;‚ would allow abortions to be conducted up until birth nationwide. States would be unable to push back or fight.<;/p>;<;p>;Those who say they dont want federal engagement on abortion should at the very least advocate ending federal spending on abortion and abortion vendors in the United States and worldwide. And we should stop sneaking abortion funds into areas like our defense or military spending.<;/p>;<;h2>;A pro-life remedy <;/h2>;<;p>;Should he be re-elected‚ Trump will have his hands full with <;a href=";https://www.studentsforlifeaction.org/kristan-hawkins-to-president-donald-trump-protect-life-re"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;a lifesaving agenda<;/a>;. That should include:<;/p>;<;ul>;<;li>;Making critical appointments at HHS‚ the Department of Justice‚ the Food and Drug Administration‚ and the Environmental Protection Agency. <;/li>;<;li>;Ending taxpayer support for abortion by getting the federal government out of the business of subsidizing the abortion industry.<;/li>;<;li>;Supporting mothers and young families by promoting services and support programs‚ including an expanded child tax credit.<;/li>;<;li>;Using the presidents bully pulpit to tell the story of life‚ as <;a href=";https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3D3-oEEAAAQBAJ%26pg%3DPA43%26lpg%3DPA43%26dq%3DAbraham%2BLincoln%2Brecognized%2Bthat%2Bwe%2Bcould%2Bnot%2Bsurvive%2Bas%2Ba%2Bfree%2Bland%2Bwhen%2Bsome%2Bmen%2Bcould%2Bdecide%2Bthat%2Bothers%2Bwere%2Bnot%2Bfit%2Bto%2Bbe%2Bfree%2Band%2Btherefore%2Bbe%2Bslaves.%2BLikewise%2C%2Bwe%2Bcannot%2Bsurvive%2Bas%2Ba%2Bfree%2Bnation%2Bwhen%2Bsome%2Bmen%2Bdecide%2Bthat%2Bothers%2Bare%2Bnot%2Bfit%2Bto%2Blive%2Band%2Bshould%2Bbe%2Babandoned%2Bto%2Babortion%2Bor%2Binfanticide.%26source%3Dbl%26ots%3D7dO8wO6mNS%26sig%3DACfU3U0hEM1WeAT3qjXLnHctrDsqCoQ3GQ%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26ved%3D2ahUKEwiXiO_lkdv5AhVPjYkEHRwCDV4Q6AF6BAgDEAM%23v%3Donepage%26q%3DAbraham%2520Lincoln%2520recognized%2520that%2520we%2520could%2520not%2520survive%2520as%2520a%2520free%2520land%2520when%2520some%2520men%2520could%2520decide%2520that%2520others%2520were%2520not%2520fit%2520to%2520be%2520free%2520and%2520therefore%2520be%2520slaves.%2520Likewise%252C%2520we%2520cannot%2520survive%2520as%2520a%2520free%2520nation%2520when%2520some%2520men%2520decide%2520that%2520others%2520are%2520not%2520fit%2520to%2520live%2520and%2520should%2520be%2520abandoned%2520to%2520abortion%2520or%2520infanticide.%26f%3Dfalse&;amp;data=05%7C02%7Ckhamrick%40studentsforlife.org%7Cce7272f3fe424e43189608dc55bceb08%7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a%7C0%7C0%7C638479517230109762%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&;amp;sdata=Td6dm2Av%2F8YNj8ZnWdkYmPwkhfaoZZF8H%2FmfUZkQLrQ%3D&;amp;reserved=0"; rel=";noopener noreferrer"; target=";_blank";>;Ronald Reagan famously did<;/a>;.<;/li>;<;li>;Protecting life on college campuses by directing the Department of Education to shift its focus from chemical abortion pill distribution to education about life-affirming options for protecting babies and mothers.<;/li>;<;li>;Ending the weaponization of federal agencies against the pro-life movement‚ traditional Catholics or Christians‚ and pro-family groups.<;/li>;<;li>;Embracing opposite day by using the executive powers of the presidency to undo everything that the Biden administration has done to expand abortion.<;/li>;<;/ul>;<;p>; Life can and will win. It just requires imagination‚ determination‚ and perseverance‚ because this isnt a battle thats won overnight or by the mere stroke of a pen. When it comes to human rights‚ true‚ lasting victory requires perseverance amid hardship.<;/p>;