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Trump administration rejoins pro-life Geneva Consensus Declaration

United Nations Building and the flags in Geneva Switzerland. / Credit: Nexus 7/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 30, 2025 / 18:05 pm (CNA).

During its first week in office, the administration of President Donald Trump announced that the United States has rejoined the Geneva Consensus Declaration, a coalition of nations united in support of pro-life and pro-women policies.

The U.S. was a founding member of the Geneva Consensus Declaration (GCD), which was established in 2020 during Trump’s first term. Along with the U.S., Brazil, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, and Uganda were among the original signatories.

According to the Institute for Women’s Health (IWH), a key supporter of the GCD, the alliance was forged to “protect the health and thriving of women throughout every stage of life, assert that there is no international right to abortion, defend the family as foundational to every healthy society, and protect the sovereign right of nations to support these core values through national policy and legislation.” 

Today, 40 member nations are signatories of the declaration.

Valerie Huber, president of IWH and the architect of the GCD, said: “We knew that countries were standing for these values prior to the GCD, but when countries stand together, that multiplies the impact.” 

“Now 40 countries have declared that when we are talking about human rights, abortion is not one of them,” Huber continued. 

Valerie Huber, the president and CEO of the Institute for Women's Health, speaks to "EWTN Pro-Life Weekly" on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Credit: EWTN News
Valerie Huber, the president and CEO of the Institute for Women's Health, speaks to "EWTN Pro-Life Weekly" on Thursday, May 23, 2024. Credit: EWTN News

In 2021, nine days after his inauguration, former President Joe Biden withdrew the United States from the GCD. 

“The GCD, of course, poses a threat to progressive global hegemony because it’s both politically effective and entirely voluntary,” Huber said.

But in his second term as president, within the first 100 hours of his presidency, Trump recommitted the U.S. to the GCD, becoming the 40th nation to join the alliance. 

Huber, who served in the first Trump administration as the first special representative for global women’s health, initiated the GCD to make a pro-family and pro-women political declaration and nation-to-nation partnership.

In an IWH press release, Huber said: “By rejoining, President Trump sends a bold message that the United States stands with sovereign nations to defend the real health needs of women against coercive tactics by global power players.” 

“The Biden administration’s withdrawal from the GCD misrepresented and undermined the coalition’s commitment to advance health and thriving for women at every stage of life. Despite relentless efforts by critics to dismantle and discredit it, IWH celebrates that the GCD has not only survived but thrived over the past four years — expanding its membership and influence,” she said.

Huber said that after the news broke of America’s reentry, she received communications from multiple countries excited to be in the same coalition as the United States and eager to connect with the nation. 

“I hope that we have the opportunity to show more countries and more people that the good of America is back, and it never really left because so many Americans share the same altruistic, compassionate, and good heart,” Huber concluded.

Bishop Barron applauds Trump’s order banning sex-change surgeries for minors

Bishop Robert Barron is the founder of Word on Fire, a media apostolate focused on evangelization. / Credit: Word on Fire

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 30, 2025 / 17:05 pm (CNA).

Bishop Robert Barron has released a statement commending President Donald Trump’s recent executive order banning federal funding for “transgender” medical interventions for minors. 

“I welcome the president’s executive order,” Barron said in a statement in his capacity as chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth.

“So many young people who have been victims of this ideological crusade have profound regrets over its life-altering consequences, such as infertility and lifelong dependence on costly hormone therapies that have significant side effects,” Barron said.

In his statement, the Minnesota bishop who is also the founder of the Catholic media apostolate Word on Fire condemned the widespread promotion of “transgender” medical interventions for minors that came into vogue under the Biden administration, calling them “unacceptable.” 

Referencing Pope Francis’ 2024 papal declaration Dignitas Infinita, Barron emphasized that “we are all called to accept the gift of our bodies created in God’s image as male and female” and to recognize the inherent beauty of sexual difference as the foundation of marriage. 

“I also applaud the executive order’s aim to identify and develop research-based therapies to aid young people struggling with gender dysphoria,” he continued. “These individuals are loved by God and possess the same inherent dignity that all persons do. They deserve care that heals rather than harms.”

At the USCCB fall meeting in Baltimore last year, Barron spoke about his committee’s “Love Means More” initiative based on Dignitas Infinita. The effort is intended to share the foundational principles of Church teaching about love in such a way that Catholics and non-Catholics alike can understand. 

“Helping young people accept their bodies and their vocation as women and men is the true path of freedom and happiness,” he concluded. 

California settles with David Daleiden, pro-life activist who exposed Planned Parenthood

David Daleiden arrives for court at the Harris County Courthouse after surrendering to authorities on Feb. 4, 2016, in Houston. / Credit: Eric Kayne/Getty Images

CNA Staff, Jan 30, 2025 / 16:35 pm (CNA).

The state of California has agreed to a plea deal with pro-life activists David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt this week after a yearslong criminal prosecution of the two journalists.

State prosecutors launched the probe following the release of a series of undercover videos that appeared to implicate Planned Parenthood officials and the National Abortion Federation in the illegal sale of unborn baby parts. 

On Monday, Daleiden and Merritt pleaded “no contest” to one charge of unlawful recording of confidential communication in exchange for the dropping of several felony charges. 

As part of the plea deal, Daleiden and Merritt will receive “no jail time, no fines, no admission of wrongdoing, and no probation,” according to a Monday announcement by the Center for Medical Progress (CMP), a pro-life group founded and headed by Daleiden.

According to the CMP, the terms of the plea deal mean the pair will face “zero punishment.”

“The new ‘no contest’ plea — which cannot be used adversely — will be entered into judgment as a misdemeanor in six to 12 months and then converted to a ‘not guilty’ plea, dismissed, and expunged,” CMP said in a statement.

Daleiden welcomed this week’s settlement as a “huge victory” and noted that he planned to continue his pro-life work. 

“After enduring nine years of weaponized political prosecution, putting an end to the lawfare launched by Kamala Harris is a huge victory for my investigative reporting and for the public’s right to know the truth about Planned Parenthood’s sale of aborted baby body parts,” Daleiden said in a statement Monday. 

“Now we all must get to work to protect families and infants from the criminal abortion-industrial complex,” Daleiden said. 

When CMP in 2015 released the incriminating videos that showed Planned Parenthood officials discussing the selling of baby body parts, California officials launched the investigation into Daleiden and Merritt. 

Former Vice President Kamala Harris — then California’s Democrat attorney general — met with Planned Parenthood staff before ordering criminal investigations into Merritt and Daleiden, including a raid on Daleiden’s home.

California’s next attorney general, Xavier Becerra — who went on to become the director of the Department of Health and Human Services under the Biden administration — charged the two with 14 felony counts of unlawfully recording a conversation and one felony count of criminal conspiracy. 

In 2019, a California judge ruled that only nine of the 15 charges could be brought to trial. The case never went to trial amid delays. In a separate civil case in 2019, a federal jury awarded Planned Parenthood over $2 million in damages. Daleiden and Merritt appealed to the 9th Circuit, which upheld the jury’s findings. 

Steve Cooley, the former Los Angeles County district attorney who led Daleiden’s legal defense team, called the prosecution “vindictive.” 

“In my five decades as an attorney, 40 years of which were as a prosecutor, I have never seen such a blatant exercise of selective investigation and vindictive prosecution,” Cooley said in a Jan. 27 statement

“The California attorneys general who initiated this case and pursued it for nearly 10 years should be ashamed for weaponizing their office to pursue people who were merely exposing illegality associated with the harvesting and sale of fetal body parts,” Daleiden’s lawyer said.

Though Daleiden and Merritt were neither convicted nor found guilty, the state of California stated on Tuesday that California Attorney General Rob Bonta secured a “felony conviction” of Daleiden and Merritt.

Attorney General Bonta said his “office is securing criminal convictions to ensure that Californians can exercise their constitutional rights to reproductive health care” in a Jan. 28 press release.

But Daleiden said the statement is a misrepresentation of the case. 

“The attorney general’s press release misrepresents our agreement,” Daleiden told CNA. “The judge explicitly stated at the hearing yesterday that we would only be ‘convicted’ and ‘found guilty’ if we break the agreement.”

The attorney from Liberty Counsel who represented Merritt called the deal “essentially a complete victory for Merritt,” who was initially charged with 16 felonies and faced more than 10 years in prison. With the plea deal, the charges will be dropped and she will receive no prison time. 

“The plea agreement ends an unjust criminal case by dropping these baseless criminal charges without any prison time, fines, or other penalties,” Mat Staver, Liberty Counsel founder and chairman, said in a statement.

“Sandra deserves to be applauded and acclaimed for revealing these horrors and then enduring this selective and vindictive prosecution as a result,” Staver continued. “Murdering human babies to harvest their body parts for profit is evil and there is no excuse for Sandra’s political persecution.”

Daleiden plans to continue exposing injustices in the abortion industry. 

“Taking the San Francisco case off the board allows me to focus fully on CMP’s mission to report on the injustices of taxpayer-funded experiments on aborted babies and continue to expand our groundbreaking investigative reporting,” Daleiden said.

Charges against pro-life former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry dropped

Former Nebraska Rep. Jeff Fortenberry. / Credit: Office of Rep. Jeff Fortenberry

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 30, 2025 / 16:05 pm (CNA).

A federal judge granted a request from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to drop criminal charges against former Nebraska Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, a Catholic and prominent pro-life leader who left Congress after being charged with making false statements during a probe into alleged illegal campaign donations.

Court records show Judge Trevor N. McFadden of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia signed the order on Wednesday, Jan. 29, on the same day the DOJ filed a legal motion to dismiss the charges.

Fortenberry’s charges were dismissed with prejudice, which prevents a future administration from bringing the same charges against the former Republican lawmaker from Nebraska at a later date.

“President [Donald] Trump knows better than anyone what false accusations and political persecution mean,” Fortenberry said in a statement, according to the Nebraska Examiner.

“The American people gave President Trump a mandate to end witch hunts like these and restore confidence in our justice system,” he said. “He kept his promises to America, in the very first days of his presidency, and we are so grateful. I want to thank all who loved and supported my family and me through this ordeal.”

Fortenberry represented Nebraska’s 1st District in the House from 2005 until 2022 when he resigned following his initial conviction. He had an A+ rating from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and introduced the Care for Her Act in 2021 to support women who face unplanned pregnancies. He also cosigned a congressional amicus brief that urged the United States Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.

The motion to dismiss was brought by four attorneys for the DOJ, including Edward R. Martin Jr., who was recently appointed by Trump to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Trump has been critical of the DOJ’s case against Fortenberry and praised the DOJ’s decision to drop the charges.

“It is great to see that the [DOJ] has dropped the witch hunt against former Congressman Jeff Fortenberry, a longtime proud and highly respected American public servant,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “Jeff and his family were forced to suffer greatly due to the illegal weaponization of our justice system by the radical-left Democrats.”

Fortenberry was accused of lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about his 2016 House of Representatives campaign receiving $30,000 in illegal campaign donations from a foreign national.

The former lawmaker was first indicted in 2021 for the alleged crimes in the Central District of California. Although he was convicted, an appellate court overruled that conviction, finding that he had been charged in an improper venue because he was interviewed by federal agents in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Washington, D.C., but not in California.

That ruling, however, permitted the charges to be refiled in an appropriate court. In May 2024, federal prosecutors refiled the charges in Washington, D.C., which was one of the locations at which he was interviewed by the FBI agents.

In a Jan. 29 post on TruthSocial, Trump said the federal prosecutors “would not leave it alone” when they chose to refile charges and asserted “the charges were totally baseless.”

“That scam is now over, so Jeff and his family can go back to having a great life together and be a part of our country’s future as we MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” the president said. “I am very proud of our Department of Justice, something I have not been able to say for many years!”

Environmental harm of chemical abortions raises concerns  

null / Credit: pim pic/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Jan 30, 2025 / 15:35 pm (CNA).

Here is a roundup of recent abortion- and pro-life-related news:

Environmental harm of chemical abortions raises concerns  

Legislators in several states are introducing bills restricting abortion pills, citing concerns about water contamination. New legislation in Arizona, Idaho, Maine, West Virginia, and Wyoming would require abortion providers to have their patients collect expelled medical waste from at-home abortions. 

Chemical abortions — which make up about 60% of U.S. abortions — are primarily sefl-induced at home, meaning that any waste is flushed down the toilet, including the blood and placental tissue and fetal remains of the unborn child. Students for Life of America, a pro-life organization, announced its support of “wastewater legislation” on Thursday. 

In a press release by SFLA’s Kristi Hamrick, Hamrick said that abortion drugs “contain dangerous endocrine disruptors, which are making their way into America’s waterways through human remains, despite EPA warnings not to flush drugs, chemicals, and even goldfish.” She noted that “hospitals dispose of placentas carefully as medical waste, and brick-and-mortar abortion vendors are supposed to follow state laws with human remains,” but waste from chemical abortions is not regulated. 

Lawmakers last year called for a study into the environmental impact of the abortion pill. 

Congressman reintroduces bill to federally ban chemical abortions 

More than a dozen House Republicans are pushing for a proposal to ban chemical abortion drugs.  Tennessee Congressman Andy Ogles reintroduced the Ending Chemical Abortions Act of 2025 — a bill he previously introduced in September 2023 — which would block the use of chemical abortions in the United States.

In a Jan. 24 statement, Ogles cited safety concerns surrounding chemical abortions for both women and unborn children. Chemical abortions “not only end a human life but pose a serious risk to the lives of the mothers,” Ogles noted, highlighting an increase in chemical abortion-related ER visits following the FDA decision to eliminate the in-person dispensing requirement. 

The proposal indicated that a woman who receives a chemical abortion may not be criminally prosecuted. It also stipulated that it does not apply to contraception, miscarriage treatment, or life-threatening situations.

Leading pro-lifers shared their support of the bill. Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, noted that “the pills are clearly deadly to the preborn and exceptionally harmful to women” and cited environmental concerns surrounding “chemically tainted placenta tissue, blood, and human remains to be flushed into our waterways.”  

Thousands gather to mourn rising Kansas abortions 

Thousands of Kansan pro-lifers rallied at the Kansas statehouse on Wednesday to support pro-life legislation and values, and to mourn the rising number of abortions in the state. 

Led by Kansans for Life, the event highlighted pro-life legislation as well as the mourning of the nearly 20,000 abortions recorded in Kansas in 2023 — a spike from recent years. Kansas abortions have increased as Kansas has become an “abortion destination” state, as neighboring states have stronger pro-life laws; Kansas records show that the number of nonresident abortions nearly doubled from 2022 to 2023. 

The event was preceded by the Kansas Mass for Life, concelebrated by Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas; Bishop Carl Kemme of Wichita; and Bishop Gerald Vincke of Salina. 

Naumann spoke at the event as well as Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita. Hawkins spoke about recent legislative wins in Kansas such as increased funding for the pregnancy compassion awareness programs and pro-life tax credit policies for families to adopt children or for those who donate to pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes. 

Ohio Senate to introduce abolishment of death penalty 

Senators in Ohio announced Tuesday they will reintroduce bipartisan legislation to abolish the death penalty in Ohio, replacing it with a sentence of life without parole for capital crimes. The bill would also ban the use of state funds for abortion as well as for assisted suicide, which is already illegal in Ohio. 

State Sen. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City, and Senate Democratic Leader Nickie J. Antonio, D-Lakewood, announced in a press conference that they plan to reintroduce the bill. Most Ohioans support the end of the death penalty, a press release by Antonio noted. However, the ACLU Ohio opposed the bill due to its limiting of funds for abortion.

Huffman, a practicing Catholic, said he is “committed to preserving the dignity of all life until natural death.” He cited both fiscal and moral challenges as reasons to abolish capital punishment.

UPDATE: Washington, Baltimore archbishops offer prayers after deadly DC plane crash

Emergency response units search on Jan. 30, 2025, near the crash site of the American Airlines plane in the Potomac River after the plane crashed on approach to Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on Jan. 29. / Credit: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

CNA Staff, Jan 30, 2025 / 13:30 pm (CNA).

The archbishops of Washington and Baltimore offered prayers on Thursday after a deadly plane crash near downtown Washington, D.C., claimed dozens of lives on Wednesday night. 

Up to 67 people were feared dead on Thursday after the overnight crash in which American Eagle Flight 5342, which flew in from Wichita, collided with a U.S. Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. 

The wreckage of the two aircraft plunged into the Potomac River, where first responders were struggling to recover bodies and debris. 

In a statement on Thursday, Washington archbishop Cardinal Wilton Gregory said Catholics “throughout the Archdiocese of Washington today join men and women of goodwill here and around the world in praying for those who perished” as well as “for their grieving families and loved ones.” 

“We praise God for the generous assistance of our courageous first responders,” the archbishop said. “May this disaster serve as an impetus to strengthen our unity and collaboration.”

Baltimore Archbishop William Lori also offered prayers on Thursday, saying in a statement: “Our hearts go out to those who lost their lives in the tragic collision at Reagan National Airport.” 

“Let us pray for them and for their loved ones who mourn them. Our thoughts and prayers are also with the first responders during this very difficult time,” Lori said. 

The archbishops’ remarks come after Pope Francis also offered prayers and condolences following the crash.

“In commending the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of Almighty God, I offer my deepest sympathies to the families who are now mourning the loss of a loved one,” the Holy Father said in a telegram to President Donald Trump. 

“I likewise pray for those involved in the recovery efforts and invoke upon all in the nation the divine blessings of consolation and strength,” the pontiff said. 

Wichita Bishop Carl Kemme on Thursday also issued a statement in which he noted that the crashed airliner originally departed from Wichita.

"My heart, and the hearts of the faithful of the Diocese of Wichita, go out to the families and loved ones of all those lost in this devastating accident. We pray for the souls of those who perished, including the brave members of our military, the passengers, and the crew," Kemme said.

"We also pray for comfort and strength for those who mourn, and for the first responders and recovery teams as they continue their difficult work," the prelate added. "I encourage all to pray for those affected by this tragedy. May the souls of the departed rest in peace."

Arlington, Virginia, Bishop Michael Burbidge also offered his condolences in a post on X. The seat of the Arlington Diocese is located just a few miles from the D.C. airport.

“May we be united in prayer for all those tragically impacted by the accident near Reagan airport. We ask God to embrace them in his love; to grant strength to their families; and to watch over all first responders,” Burbidge said.

This story was updated on Thursday, Jan. 30, at 2:20 p.m. with a statement from Wichita Bishop Carl Kemme

Pope Francis offers condolences after deadly midair collision near Washington, DC

Emergency response units search the wreckage on Jan. 30, 2025, of an American Airlines plane on the Potomac River after it crashed on approach to Reagan National Airport the night before. The American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas, collided midair with a military Black Hawk helicopter while on approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. According to reports, there were no survivors among the 67 people on both aircraft. / Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Vatican City, Jan 30, 2025 / 11:15 am (CNA).

Pope Francis extended his condolences after an American Airlines jet carrying 64 people collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night.

The pope sent a personal message to President Donald Trump on Jan. 30 as search efforts continued in and around the Potomac River where the aircraft crashed. Officials indicated on Thursday morning that they did not believe there were any survivors.

“After learning of the mid-air collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, I express my spiritual closeness to all those affected by this tragedy,” the pope said.

“In commending the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of Almighty God, I offer my deepest sympathies to the families who are now mourning the loss of a loved one. I likewise pray for those involved in the recovery efforts and invoke upon all in the nation the divine blessings of consolation and strength.”

Pope Francis chose to sign the message personally, departing from the usual protocol of sending it via the Vatican secretary of state.

The collision occurred around 9 p.m. on Jan. 29 as American Eagle Flight 5342 en route from Wichita, Kansas, was approaching Reagan National Airport. 

The jet was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members. The military helicopter was on a training mission with three soldiers on board. 

Emergency response teams have recovered at least 28 bodies from the Potomac River, where wreckage from both aircraft was found. With all passengers feared dead, the accident is likely the deadliest plane crash in the U.S. in more than 20 years. 

Passengers on the flight included a group of figure skaters, coaches, and their family members  returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, according to the U.S. Figure Skating association. 

Russian former world ice skating champions Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were among those on board, according to Russian state media.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the collision. Preliminary reports suggest that the helicopter crew was aware of the approaching jetliner, as indicated by radio communications with air traffic control, according to Reuters. The Pentagon has also initiated its own inquiry into the incident.

Bishop Michael Burbidge, the bishop of nearby Arlington, Virginia, also offered his condolences in a post on the social media platform X.

“May we be united in prayer for all those tragically impacted by the accident near Reagan airport. We ask God to embrace them in his love; to grant strength to their families; and to watch over all first responders,” the bishop said.

Trump signs orders to expand school choice, end ‘radical indoctrination’

null / Credit: RasyidArt/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Jan 30, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

President Donald Trump signed two executive orders on Wednesday directing federal agencies to expand educational freedom and opportunity for families and end “radical indoctrination” in K–12 education.

The executive order to expand school choice is designed “to support parents in choosing and directing the upbringing and education of their children” by using federal funding “to support K–12 educational choice initiatives.”

“Parents want and deserve the best education for their children. But too many children do not thrive in their assigned, government-run K–12 school,” the executive order reads. “According to this year’s National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 70% of eighth graders were below proficient in reading, and 72% were below proficient in math. Moreover, geographically based school assignments exacerbate the cost of housing in districts with preferred schools, straining the finances of millions of American families sacrificing for their children’s futures.” 

The order indicates that “education freedom” will be a “priority in discretionary grant programs” and proposes enabling “low-income, working families,” military families, and children eligible for the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) Schools to use federal funding to attend the private, faith-based, or charter school of their choice.

An additional executive order to end “radical indoctrination” is designed to ensure that schools that receive federal funding “comply with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination in various contexts and protecting parental rights.” 

It primarily addresses the issues of gender ideology and “critical race theory” in schools.

“In recent years … parents have witnessed schools indoctrinate their children in radical, anti-American ideologies while deliberately blocking parental oversight,” read the order. “Such an environment operates as an echo chamber, in which students are forced to accept these ideologies without question or critical examination.”

The order prohibits “discriminatory equity ideology” in public schools, which is defined as “an ideology that treats individuals as members of preferred or disfavored groups, rather than as individuals, and minimizes agency, merit, and capability in favor of immoral generalizations.”

The order also prohibits federal funding at public K–12 schools from supporting “social transition” of minors from one gender to another. 

“In many cases, innocent children are compelled to adopt identities as either victims or oppressors solely based on their skin color and other immutable characteristics. In other instances, young men and women are made to question whether they were born in the wrong body and whether to view their parents and their reality as enemies to be blamed,” the order continued. “These practices not only erode critical thinking but also sow division, confusion, and distrust, which undermine the very foundations of personal identity and family unity.” 

The order specifically aims to eliminate federal funding or support “for illegal and discriminatory treatment and indoctrination in K–12 schools, including based on gender ideology and discriminatory equity ideology.” 

“Imprinting anti-American, subversive, harmful, and false ideologies on our nation’s children not only violates long-standing anti-discrimination civil rights law in many cases, but usurps basic parental authority,” the order reads. 

“For example, steering students toward surgical and chemical mutilation without parental consent or involvement or allowing males access to private spaces designated for females may contravene federal laws that protect parental rights,” the order reads. 

“Similarly, demanding acquiescence to ‘white privilege’ or ‘unconscious bias’ actually promotes racial discrimination and undermines national unity,” the order continues. 

The order also aims “to instill a patriotic admiration for our incredible nation and the values for which we stand.” It promotes “patriotic education,” which it defines as “an accurate, honest, unifying, inspiring, and ennobling characterization of America’s founding and foundational principles.” 

For instance, the order reestablishes the “1776 Commission” in the U.S. Department of Education — made up of a maximum of 20 unpaid members — to develop “patriotic education,” mainly by developing lectures to honor the 250th anniversary of American independence.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledges to carry out Trump’s policies on abortion, conscience rights

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, testifies during his Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Jan. 29, 2025, in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Washington D.C., Jan 29, 2025 / 17:05 pm (CNA).

During his first confirmation hearing, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated at several points that he would implement President Donald Trump’s pro-life policies. 

Republican and Democrat senators on the Senate Finance Committee pressed Kennedy on his views on abortion and “reproductive health,” asking him how he would approach the issue of life while carrying out his duties as head of HHS.

In the three-hour hearing, Kennedy fielded questions on his interpretation of Title X, late-term abortions, mifepristone, stem cell research, and medical conscience rights. 

“I’m going to support President Trump’s policies on Title X,” Kennedy said in his first exchange regarding abortion with Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma.

“I agree with President Trump that every abortion is a tragedy,” Kennedy stated. “I agree with him that we cannot be a moral nation if we have 1.2 million abortions per year, I agree with him that the states should control abortion.”

“I’m going to serve at the pleasure of the president,” he continued. “I’m going to implement his policies,” he said, revealing that Trump had expressed his desire for Kennedy to end late-term abortions, enact protections for conscious exemptions, and end federal funding for abortions in the U.S. and abroad. 

On medical conscience exemptions, Kennedy said: “What patient would want somebody doing a surgery on them that, you know, believes that that surgery is against their conscience and is being forced to perform that? I don’t know anybody who would want to have a doctor perform a surgery that the doctor is morally opposed to.”

“Forcing somebody to participate in a medical procedure as a provider that they believe is murder does not make any sense to me,” he continued, adding: “We need to welcome diversity in this country, we need to respect diversity, and we need to respect each other when we have different opinions and not, you know, not force our opinions on other people.” 

Kennedy also answered questions on his views regarding chemical abortions, stating that his approach to the drug would mirror that of Trump, who, he noted, has yet to adopt an official position on whether he supports the use of chemical abortion drugs such as mifepristone. The HHS nominee did, however, criticize the Biden administration for deregulating the abortion drug and for ending reporting requirements. 

Mifepristone is a drug used to induce a chemical abortion by blocking the hormone progesterone, which cuts off the child’s supply of oxygen and nutrients. The Food and Drug Administration’s label estimates that about 1 in 25 women who take mifepristone “will visit the emergency room.” 

“It should be reported; I mean, it’s against everything we believe in in this country, that patients or doctors should not be reporting adverse events,” Kennedy said, adding: “I think it’s immoral to have a policy where patients are not allowed to report adverse events or doctors are discouraged from doing that.” 

Several members of the committee questioned Kennedy on his past pro-abortion views, including Democrat Sen. Maggie Hassan, who quoted Kennedy as saying: “I don’t think the government has any business telling people what they can or cannot do with their body” during a campaign visit to New Hampshire in 2023. 

Kennedy responded simply: “I agree with President Trump — every abortion is a tragedy.” 

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, questioned Kennedy about his support for stem cell research at the University of Washington, which the senator said had conducted “groundbreaking” research using fetal heart tissue. 

Kennedy responded by saying: “I will protect stem cell research, and today stem cell research can be done on umbilical cords.” 

“You don’t need fetal tissue,” he said. 

In November, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump nominated Kennedy to serve as the United States secretary of the HHS, a position that requires Senate confirmation. HHS oversees 10 agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Kennedy is a former Democrat. He ran for president as an independent in 2024 before dropping out and endorsing Trump. Kennedy is set to have another hearing tomorrow before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Pro-abortion group’s study finds ingredient in morning-after pill can induce abortion

null / Credit: Sophia Moss/Pexels

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 29, 2025 / 16:10 pm (CNA).

A study published last week found that the active ingredient used in a common morning-after “emergency contraceptive” can be used to induce a chemical abortion at least up to the ninth week of pregnancy.

The study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine on Jan. 23, found that ulipristal acetate is an “effective” drug for causing an abortion. This drug is the active ingredient in the morning-after pill commonly marketed as “ella” or “ellaOne,” which is advertised as a non-abortive contraception used only to prevent pregnancy.

Researchers gave 133 pregnant women from Mexico City each a dosage of 60 milligrams of ulipristal acetate to induce an abortion. The women were then given misoprostol, which expels an unborn child from the mother by inducing contractions.

The study was conducted by Gynuity Health Projects and the National Autonomous University of Mexico and approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Mexico City Health Secretariat. 

Gynuity Health Projects — an organization that seeks to increase access to chemical abortions — has in the past been criticized by pro-life groups for conducting clinical trials on pregnant women around the world to test the effectiveness of second-trimester chemical abortions. 

The organization has received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and many other wealthy donors.

According to the recent study, the drug combination of ulipristal acetate and misoprostol completed an abortion in 129 cases — a success rate of 97%. This is about equal to the success rate of the abortion pill mifepristone — which is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to abort an unborn child up to 10 weeks into a pregnancy in conjunction with misoprostol to expel the child.

The 60-milligram dose of ulipristal acetate used in the study is double the dose recommended for using the same drug as an “emergency contraceptive.” The study did not test whether lower doses could induce abortions.

Gynuity Health Projects President Beverly Winikoff, the lead researcher, told CNA she believes “this is the first study that shows the possibility of using [ulipristal acetate] for abortion” but that “just looking at the chemical structure, it has a structure very similar to mifepristone,” which is already used for abortion.

Aaron Kheriaty, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, told CNA that a similar chemical structure does not necessarily mean both drugs will have the same effect but added that “it should have been investigated” in the FDA approval process.

Ulipristal acetate, he said, “makes the environment in the womb inhospitable to continue life.” He said whether someone takes it shortly after sexual intercourse or several weeks later, “it is doing the same thing” and in the cases documented in the study, “causing an abortion rather than preventing the conception of a human being in the first place.”

Kheriaty noted that even if taken soon after sexual intercourse, the drug can prevent a fertilized egg, which is already “a new human being,” from attaching to the uterus, ensuring the “early embryo can’t survive.”

“It’s long been known that the mechanism of action of the morning-after pill … is to produce an early abortion,” Kheriaty said.

Joseph Meaney, a senior fellow at the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC), told CNA that the study indicates that ella “can be abortifacient in its mode of action.”

“Ulipristal acetate clearly works as an abortion pill,” Meaney said. “The question is how often does it abort very early pregnancies when used as so-called ‘emergency contraception?’”

The Vatican and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have warned for years that emergency contraceptives could induce abortions in early pregnancies, which pharmaceutical companies have consistently denied.

Ella still marketed as a non-abortive drug

Pharmaceutical companies market ella or ellaOne as a non-abortive drug that only prevents a pregnancy and will not end an existing pregnancy or harm a child in the mother’s womb. It is prescribed for women up to five days after sexual intercourse.

Ellarx.com, operated by HRA Pharma America — a subsidiary of the Perrigo Company plc — claims ella is not an “abortion pill,” adding: “It won’t end an existing pregnancy.”

“Emergency contraceptives like ella [work] by delaying or preventing ovulation, which stops pregnancy from occurring in the first place,” the website states in its section for frequently asked questions.

Similarly, ellaOne.co.uk lists among its morning-after pill “myths” that “the morning-after pill is a form of abortion” and adds “if the morning-after pill is taken by someone who is already pregnant, emergency contraception will not interrupt this pregnancy.” This website is also operated by Perrigo. 

Perrigo issued a statement to the New York Times standing by that position, saying the study gave women a higher dose of ulipristal acetate than what is in one pill of ella, asserting “there continues to be no evidence to show that, on its own, ella causes an abortion.” One ella pill has 30 milligrams of ulipristal acetate, which is half of what the study used.

“Ella is an FDA-approved emergency contraception pill that acts before pregnancy can occur,” the statement added.

Winikoff, however, told CNA: “The study we published could make it possible for people to use [ulipristal acetate] for abortions,” adding that “the drug is FDA approved, and this is just another use for it.”

Kheriaty told CNA he believes the findings “place the medication in the same category as other drugs used for chemical abortions like mifepristone.” He said advertising it as a non-abortive drug is “clearly misleading, and it’s something the FDA should investigate.”

Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, an NCBC senior ethicist, told CNA the study “reveals that [ulipristal acetate] can also be used in higher doses for the first step of a chemical abortion, again reminding us how closely connected contraception and abortion really are — ‘two fruits of the same tree,’” quoting St. John Paul II’s encyclical Evangelium Vitae

“In broad terms, we can see how contraceptive acts enable a couple to ‘quench the possibility’ of a family by doing away with the prospect of a child even before that life is conceived,” Pacholczyk added.

“The logic behind ‘quenching our offspring’ can now be extended further, as the active ingredient in ella will now likely become part of the regimen for initiating many early chemical abortions around the globe and directly ending countless unborn lives,” he said.