“We strongly encourage you to reject the nomination of any pro-abortion nominees to serve at HHS.”
Former Vice President Mike Pence’s organization, Advancing American Freedom, is urging senators to vote against confirming Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over his stance on abortion.
In a letter, Advancing American Freedom lays out five detailed questions for Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). It points out that Kennedy formerly said that a woman should have the right to abort her unborn baby, and the government shouldn’t be involved, “even if [the baby] is full term.” Such a position is “completely out of step with the strong, pro-life record of the first Trump Administration,” wrote AAF President Tim Chapman and Chairman of the Board Marc Short.
“While RFK Jr. has made certain overtures to pro-life leaders that he would be mindful of their concerns at HHS, there is little reason for confidence at this time,” they continued. “There are hundreds of decisions made every day at HHS that either lead our nation toward a respect for life or away from it—decisions about federal funding for Planned Parenthood, regulations on the abortion pill (currently accounting for three out of every five abortions), insurance coverage of abortion, and more.”
A number of pro-life leaders and lawmakers had also expressed concerns about Kennedy’s record on abortion, but Kennedy allayed many of their fears when he spoke with Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri on December 17. Hawley shared that Kennedy promised to reinstate Trump’s pro-life policies at HHS, including reinstating the Mexico City Policy, which blocks federal funds from going to NGOs that promote abortion; ending taxpayer funding for abortions domestically; and reinstating the bar on Title X funds going to organizations that promote abortion.
Kennedy also reportedly promised Hawley that “all of his deputies at HHS would be pro-life” and that he would “reinstate conscience protections for healthcare providers”— two major points of concern for pro-lifers.
“He told me he believes there are far too many abortions in the U.S. and that we cannot be the moral leader of the free world with abortion rates so high,” Hawley said.
Advancing American Freedom still has concerns, however.
“Whatever the merits of RFK Jr’s Make America Healthy Again initiative—indeed, whatever other qualities a nominee might possess—an HHS Secretary must have a firm commitment to protect unborn children, or else bend under the pressure and pushback surrounding these daily, critical decisions,” their letter continued. “We strongly encourage you to reject the nomination of any pro-abortion nominees to serve at HHS. RFK Jr., as well as any other nominated HHS Secretary, must be able to provide satisfactory answers to the list of important pro-life questions attached to this letter. The pro-life movement has a strong bench of courageous pro-life leaders who are willing to serve the American people as the head of HHS.”
Mike Pence’s organization wants Kennedy to answer a number of questions clarifying his views on abortion. The first of these is: “When do you believe that life should be protected?” Advancing American Freedom would also like Kennedy to state at what gestational age or level of development he thinks unborn children should be protected by the federal government, and whether there are any extenuating circumstances in which he believes that unborn children should not be protected.
Advancing American Freedom also wants Kennedy to address his stances on abortion pills, responsible for dozens of deaths of mothers across the United States, asking Kennedy to commit to reinstating the safeguards on abortion drugs put in place by former President Bill Clinton.
The letter also requests that he commit to “taking every step possible” to stop taxpayer funding of abortions via Title X, Medicaid reimbursements, and other grants and contracts, as well as protecting the conscience rights of Americans under the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division within HHS’ Office for Civil Rights— two promises Kennedy appears to have already made to Hawley.
Advancing American Freedom also pushes for Kennedy to commit to requiring states to collect and report abortion data, given that many states don’t report abortion data, allowing for late-term abortions or even born-alive abortions to go undetected.
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