Friday, Jan. 22 is National Sanctity of Human Life Day. The proclamation was made by Donald Trump as one of his last actions as president of the United States. It is also the 48th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling making abortion a national right.
Some had feared the new Biden administration would revoke the proclamation this week as part of the rollback of pro-life policies included in the new administration’s executive orders. As of Friday morning, the Biden administration let the proclamation stand.
Trump used the proclamation to speak out against the landmark 1973 ruling Roe v. Wade, remind Americans of the accomplishments on behalf of the pro-life movement and call on the American people to respect the sanctity of life including unborn, disabled and elderly.
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“On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, we celebrate the wonder of human existence and renew our resolve to build a culture of life where every person of every age is protected, valued and cherished,” the proclamation reads. Bottom of Form
Trump has repeatedly described Roe as a constitutionally flawed ruling that overturned state laws that banned abortion. The proclamation says the ruling has resulted in the loss of more than 50 million innocent lives.
The president devoted a substantial portion of his proclamation to outlining his pro-life record. “Since the beginning, my administration has been dedicated to lifting up every American, and that starts with protecting the rights of the most vulnerable in our society — the unborn,” the document says.
He specifically referenced his reinstatement and expansion of the Mexico City Policy, which bans the use of taxpayer funds for nongovernmental organizations that promote abortion. President Joe Biden is set to reverse the policy today. The policy requires foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to certify that they will not “perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning” using funds from any source as a condition of receiving U.S. government global family planning assistance and, since Jan. 23, 2017, most other U.S. global health assistance.
Trump’s proclamation on human life, comes as the Biden administration, thought to become the most pro-abortion administration in history, gets ready to fund abortion with American taxpayer dollars. Trump used the announcement this week to criticize Democratic politicians who fought against legislation that would have banned most abortions past 20 weeks of gestation.
“Some in Washington are fighting to keep the United States among a small handful of nations — including North Korea and China — that allow elective abortions after 20 weeks,” Trump said. “I join with countless others who believe this is morally and fundamentally wrong, and today, I renew my call on the Congress to pass legislation prohibiting late-term abortion.”
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice