WASHINGTON—The State Department is destroying $13 million worth of contraceptives, The Daily Wire has learned, in addition to saving nearly $31 million by canceling contraceptive orders placed by President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration.
The contraceptives — including everything from hormonal birth control pills to birth control implants — were set to be distributed abroad through the U.S. Agency for International Development. But the State Department now says the Biden administration purchased much of these contraceptives in violation of the Kemp-Kasten Amendment, which prevents U.S. funds from going to organizations that support or participate in programs of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.
There were some interested buyers, a State Department official said, but they were deemed ineligible since they support organizations involved in coercive abortion and sterilization. Those buyers reportedly included the Gates Foundation, the Children&#8217;s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), and the United Nations Population Fund. None of these organizations immediately responded to requests for comment.
A State Department official noted that it would cost the department several million dollars to sell the materials to other vendors, given that the department would have to rebrand some of these materials. Destroying the contraceptives, meanwhile, would cost taxpayers around $167,000, the official said. Doing so also avoids potential further violations of the Kemp-Kasten Amendment and ensures the materials don&#8217;t fall into the wrong hands — something that has happened before with USAID, according to the State Department.
The move is part of President Donald Trump&#8217;s January 2025 presidential directive that <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/memorandum-for-the-secretary-of-state-the-secretary-of-defense-the-secretary-of-health-and-human-services-the-administrator-of-the-united-states-for-international-development/">stops support</a> for organizations that are involved in coercive reproductive practices, according to a State Department memo shared with The Daily Wire. It is the Trump administration&#8217;s latest effort to curtail USAID, a once-sprawling operation that has been radically reined in and placed firmly under the auspices of the State Department.
An inventory of USAID-Funded Contraceptive Commodities held at a distribution center in Belgium shows that USAID had formerly funded millions of dollars&#8217; worth of birth control implants (including $3,850,540 for levonorgestrel rod implants and over $3,500,000 for etonogestrel rod implants).
USAID was also funding hundreds of thousands of dollars&#8217; worth of birth control pills, hormones, and IUDs, according to data reviewed by The Daily Wire.
The Belgian distribution center, Belgium RDC, was holding a total of $9,734,251 contraceptive commodities, and $3.4 million in commodities are still being held by its supplier, according to the State Department memo.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies on the 2026 Budget In House Hearing

EXCLUSIVE: State Department To Destroy $13 Million In Biden Era Contraceptives

Abortion

Contraception

USAID

A Chicago museum exhibit dedicated to Planned Parenthood featured rosaries, because Christianity is in the business of &#8220;controlling the bodies&#8221; of women, the exhibit&#8217;s plaque said.
The International Museum of Surgical Science&#8217;s &#8220;Unplanned Parenthood&#8221; exhibit featured letters women wrote to Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger in the 1920s asking for information about birth control.
Some of the letters were hung from crosses using rosary beads.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NEW: Rosary beads represent Christianity &quot;controlling the bodies of birthing people&quot; in this Planned Parenthood museum exhibit
At Chicago&#39;s International Museum of Surgical Science <a href="https://t.co/n4CGmgSGcN">pic.twitter.com/n4CGmgSGcN</a>
&mdash; Mairead Elordi (@JohnsonHildy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnsonHildy/status/1877079118769991760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;The rosary beads serve as a reminder of the enduring influence of christianity [sic] in the United States, symbolizing the ways religious institutions have played in shaping societal norms and controlling the bodies of birthing people,&#8221; <a href="https://imss.org/contemporaryart/michelle-hartney-unplanned-parenthood/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read</a> the plaque for the exhibit.
&#8220;Birthing people&#8221; is a gender neutral term often used in place of &#8220;women&#8221; by those who espouse gender ideology.
The letters were embroidered onto vintage wedding dress fabric by volunteers in sewing circles around the country, the plaque said. The wedding dress material symbolizes the &#8220;societal expectations placed on women in the early 1900s.&#8221;
The fabric letters were then hung from porcelain backings, &#8220;evoking the fragility of the rights of people with uteruses,&#8221; while the backings have imagery from wedding cakes, lingerie, and jewelry, &#8220;serving as a commentary on the societal pressure placed on women to embrace marriage, often masking the limitations it imposed, particularly during the times when birth control and autonomy were denied.&#8221;
Meat hooks symbolized &#8220;the patriarchy.&#8221;
&#8220;Vintage meat hooks were used as symbols of the brutality of the patriarchy and the way men have treated the bodies of people with uteruses like animals,&#8221; the plaque said.
Chicago is one of the most Catholic cities in the country, with about a <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/most-catholic-cities-in-us/2966577.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">third</a> of its residents identifying as Catholic.
One Catholic Chicago resident told The Daily Wire it was &#8220;heart-wrenchingly offensive&#8221; to think of his tax dollars going towards the display.
The museum has <a href="https://imss.org/2023/09/the-international-museum-of-surgical-science-to-offer-artist-stipends-in-2024-season-for-chicago-illinois-based-artists/?srsltid=AfmBOoqEraaOLaphC478hd7hBDoEB3NiBEP_DB-FsX8Uukmbc3T3KYW7&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">received</a> government grants, including pandemic relief money.
&#8220;Worse, the use of the Catholic rosary and Crucifixes in the exhibit is a mockery of the Lord&#8217;s Mother and all of the prayers from all those who hold life sacred from conception,&#8221; he said, &#8220;something [about] 1.3 billion Catholics universally hold to, and an issue the Church is unwavering on.&#8221;
&#8220;It’s despicable what the City is supporting. Wasting our tax dollars to mock Catholics, and the desecrate to rosary,&#8221; the Catholic Chicagoan said, adding that he encourages the city&#8217;s two million Catholics to &#8220;vote accordingly.&#8221;
The museum said in a statement to The Daily Wire that the &#8220;views, statements, and ideas expressed in this exhibition are solely those of the artist&#8221; and the museum &#8220;does not endorse or promote any political or social beliefs presented in this exhibit.&#8221;
<div>
&#8220;The International Museum of Surgical Science supports a commitment to contemporary art and artists through exhibitions and programs that use the frame of contemporary artistic practice to examine new perspectives in medical and surgical science and our relationship to the body,&#8221; Director of Museum Operations Michelle Rinard said.
&#8220;We believe in the power of the arts to build community, inspire social change and bring fresh perspective to difficult and complex issues — including issues of race, ethnicity, class, gender identity and sexual orientation. IMSS seeks applications that address these issues,&#8221; Rinard said.
</div>

Rosary Beads in Hands of Catholic Woman

Chicago Museum Hangs Pro-Birth Control Notes On Rosaries In Planned Parenthood Exhibit

Birth Control

Catholic

Catholic Church

Catholicism

Chicago

Health Care

Margaret Sanger

Planned Parenthood

Washington Post journalist <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/taylor-lorenz">Taylor Lorenz</a> shared some details about the &#8220;Hotties for Harris&#8221; party that took place at this week&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/democratic-national-convention">Democratic National Convention</a> in Chicago.
The Instagram account, @houseinhabit, which is run by Jessica Reed Kraus, shared a story featuring Lorenz talking about some of the surprising activities and party favors at the event. The post quickly started making the rounds on X as well.
“Taylor is filling us in on some of the DNC highlights since we haven’t been able to get into the convention,” the person recording says in the video. “And what did you get as a party favor?” she asked.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1724211156439000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2-L2DitSaIUj5wz8v0bgxx">Tickets for “Am I Racist?” are on sale NOW! Buy here for a theater near you.</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
At the “Hotties for Harris” DNC event, there was a Plan B gumball machine, “Abortion Access” skeeball, sex themed walls, and more WEIRD stuff.
Democrats are obsessed with abortion and degeneracy.
Credit: <a href="https://twitter.com/houseinhabit?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@houseinhabit</a> on Instagram <a href="https://t.co/rkuPWUqt1U">pic.twitter.com/rkuPWUqt1U</a>
— Kristan Hawkins (@KristanHawkins) <a href="https://twitter.com/KristanHawkins/status/1826700143997190422?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Lorenz replied, “So, well I was at the &#8216;Hotties for Harris&#8217; party last night, which was a party a bunch of people went to, and they had like all of these different sort of things. They had like mini golf where like, you put, you like, go mini golf through like, a ring of tampons and stuff.”
She continued, “And then I went through, then there was like a gumball machine, and I was like oh, let me turn the gumball machine, and you know maybe it’s like a ring or something, and um, it was, I have this,” Lorenz said, showing off her prize to the camera.
“It was Plan B,” she said, laughing about receiving the emergency contraceptive pill as a party favor. “It’s a Plan B pill,” she repeats before the video cuts to a photo of the gumball machine stocked with contraceptives.
Plan B, the brand name used for the drug, Levonorgestrel, &#8220;stops or delays the release of an egg from the ovary,&#8221; according to the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/plan-b-one-step-15-mg-levonorgestrel-information">FDA</a>.
<a href="http://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1724211156439000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2xQ8bdTcpfdrPBAzczIuck">WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI</a>
In another story shared on the same Instagram account, Lorenz mentioned that many attendees were wearing white on Thursday to represent their support for abortion access or, as she put it, “reproductive justice.”
She described Rep. Alexandria Occasio-Cortez (D-NY) as having “charisma” while calling New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul a “void in the room.” 
Besides the tampons and Plan B, Planned Parenthood set up a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/planned-parenthood-bus-offering-free-abortions-vasectomies-outside-dnc">mobile clinic</a> a few blocks outside the DNC, providing free abortions and vasectomies.

Taylor Lorenz

Taylor Lorenz Plays Mini Golf With Tampons At ‘Hotties For Harris’ DNC Party

Taylor Lorenz Plays Mini Golf With Tampons At 'Hotties For Harris' DNC Party

Democratic National Convention

Illinois

Media

Politics

Tampons

On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> Republicans blocked a Democrat bill that sought to codify the right to access <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/contraception" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contraception</a> in federal law, with many arguing that it would infringe on religious and parental rights.
Fifty-one members, including two Republicans, <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1182/vote_118_2_00190.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> to advance the legislation — an insufficient number to reach the three-fifths majority needed to break the filibuster. Thirty-eight Republicans voted against moving forward. Nine other GOP members and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-senator-bob-menendez-to-change-party-status-amid-his-corruption-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ)</a> did not vote.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) <a href="https://x.com/CraigCaplan/status/1798457646502261075" target="_blank" rel="noopener">switched</a> his vote to &#8220;Nay,&#8221; a move that allowed him to file a <a href="https://x.com/SenateCloakroom/status/1798455388783964209" target="_blank" rel="noopener">motion to reconsider</a> the failed cloture vote at some point in the future. He has set up a vote next week for an IVF bill with a <a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/transcript-majority-leader-chuck-schumer-delivers-remarks-at-press-conference-with-senate-democrats-after-senate-republicans-blocked-the-right-to-contraception-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated goal</a> of putting Republicans on the record on reproductive rights.
<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/4381/text" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The contraception bill</a>, introduced by Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), would &#8220;protect an individual’s ability to access contraceptives and to engage in contraception and to protect a health care provider’s ability to provide contraceptives, contraception, and information related to contraception.&#8221;
Democrat lawmakers are pressing the birth control debate in a presidential election year. They argue Markey&#8217;s legislation is necessary because the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade — a ruling that returned the issue of abortion access to the states — also <a href="https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-hirono-duckworth-statement-on-the-right-to-contraception-act-floor-vote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;threatened&#8221;</a> contraception.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), who is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rick-scott-joins-race-for-senate-gop-leader" target="_blank" rel="noopener">running</a> to become the next leader of the Senate GOP, led 21 of his Republican colleagues in a <a href="https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/2024/6/sen-rick-scott-leads-colleagues-in-slamming-democrats-attacks-on-religious-freedoms-parental-rights-political-games-on-contraception" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> that disparaged the contraception bill. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), considered a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-campaign-requests-documents-from-some-vp-contenders-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contender</a> for former President Donald Trump&#8217;s running mate in the 2024 election, was among them.
&#8220;There is no threat to access to contraception, which is legal in every state and required by law to be offered at no cost by health insurers, and it&#8217;s disgusting that Democrats are fearmongering on this important issue to score cheap political points,&#8221; the GOP lawmakers said.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1716990157394000&amp;usg=AOvVaw33qQydjIo8bet419amChif">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
&#8220;This bill infringes on the parental rights and religious liberties of some Americans and lets the federal government force religious institutions and schools, even public elementary schools, to offer contraception like condoms to little kids,&#8221; they added. &#8220;It’s just another way for Democrats to use activist attorneys and our courts to advance their radical agenda and that is why we oppose this bill.&#8221;
The pair of GOP lawmakers who joined with the majority of Democrats and the independents who caucus with them voting to advance the legislation included Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).
&#8220;This is not a perfect bill,&#8221; Murkowski <a href="https://x.com/lisamurkowski/status/1798457352930357587" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a video posted to X. &#8220;This isn&#8217;t a bill that has gone through committee. Leader Schumer has decided that he&#8217;s just going to put it on the floor to move to it. That&#8217;s a lousy process, actually. This is unfortunately yet another messaging bill &#8230; but if it is going to be a messaging bill, I want my message to be very clear: that a woman should have a right to contraception.&#8221;

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and other senators Speak To The Press After The “Right To Contraception Act” Failed Passage

Senate Republicans Block Dem Contraception Bill

Chuck Schumer

Congress

Ed Markey

Lisa Murkowski

Marco Rubio

Rick Scott

Senate Democrats

Susan Collins

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives">House of Representatives</a> passed legislation Thursday heralded as a protectress of the &#8220;right to contraception.&#8221; But pro-life advocates and conservatives warn that the Right to Contraception Act is merely the Trojan horse of abortion activists pushing religious freedom infringements.
&#8220;This bill isn&#8217;t about codifying a right, but weaponizing hysteria against Clarence Thomas in an attempt to salvage the November election and distract from Democrat failures,&#8221; Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), who voted against the legislation, warned Thursday. &#8220;This rushed legislation would overturn commonsense conscience laws to increase distribution of chemical abortion pills and other abortifacients through vague language and a hurried legislative process.&#8221;
The <a href="https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Right%20to%20Contraception%20Act%20FINAL.pdf">Right to Contraception Act</a> would &#8220;protect a person’s ability to access contraceptives and to engage in contraception, and to protect a health care provider’s ability to provide contraceptives, contraception, and information related to contraception.&#8221;
Republicans Bob Gibbs of Ohio and Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania voted present on the bill, while eight Republicans <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-passes-legislation-enshrine-right-contraception-federal-law-rcna39167">voted for the bill</a>: Liz Cheney of Wyoming, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, John Katko of New York, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Fred Upton of Michigan, and Maria Salazar of Florida.
“It is outrageous — we keep using that word — 60 years after Griswold was decided, 60 years after Griswold, women must again fight for our basic right to birth control against an extremist Republican Party,” Pelosi said Wednesday, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/birth-control-access-bill-heads-to-house-vote-11658406600">according to The Wall Street Journal</a>. “Let us be clear: We are not going back. For our daughters or granddaughters, we are not going back.”
The Right to Contraception Act would supersede the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
John McCormack with the National Review <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2022/07/democrats-contraception-bill-overrides-religious-freedom-law-and-protects-abortion/">notes</a>:
<blockquote>By including <a href="https://twitter.com/McCormackJohn/status/1549160656984760326" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-testid="standard-link">the same poison-pill language</a> about RFRA in their “Right to Contraception Act,” Democrats appear to be taking a page from their 2012 playbook: picking a fight over religious liberty in order to portray Republicans as opposing the legal right to contraception.
The Democrats’ &#8220;<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20220718/BILLS-117HR8373IH.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-testid="standard-link">Right to Contraception Act&#8221;</a> explicitly condemns (in one of its official findings) state conscience laws that protect health-care providers who refuse to offer contraception (a term that the bill says includes sterilization procedures).</blockquote>
In a Thursday letter to lawmakers, the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List warned that it would score against those who voted for the bill.
“Nancy Pelosi and pro-abortion Democrats will stop at nothing to ensure the abortion industry led by <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=ziOAalYvj2xK2Ffv4A39a59s37puDR6mLFSFxGxJ5-2Bo7JidKXyLUhgw3AKVpBJMZCWRmKDpGPI97iLfdsLLX9cVduKow3YeBhZ0HNyRgcTXhuQ-2ByeGAKrZnbXiR9nshTUCFMx-2BkBpgon0HfKHKvarM1Y3RiMA73BCTAijb-2F5Q-2FVt3y0j7QRc-2FKt-2BDRSP3BYKsxpxzzNooPqL-2Brk2482W9tyXzYH3ZwC5fs-2BDl0Taxqu0kxSejpt6rlbOeiH0owCHtOsN6UQ7rMFiedtHIujSLpLDDHLZqb7uwsqqr4-2FtW3zfcV3QayaTVh-2Bel8GJus4h6Yl8AQ9ZXN717hgbLFZ-2FS2v3OBaDORnqYSBo6-2FqWEeCuyRQuaaVk2ho-2FNP9F6a74X3oT1EahjqYPDerbPRAPO1l79Zti34S8livEl8TSGw3T-2FIVnwleqk30MoMJraD-2Bb3sgHvp4A-2BgLUPGuuL80w-2F4VM2RSNTEVtUb4aI-2FLSktDjczmrGspDTFBMZPOYPYts4U6eXcDdr5SOql5BUd2t9-2F99d8v8386vB0rfYY6cEOIXDDNZQpO0ED89vM6bG45auXVbtByJG62bEMPSq4YYCxHlEV3Olr8v-2B85T5y-2BQVzWRJ8MaLfdCm8l-2BI2q1jG2hJehYh-2BjsuYsjzUUoRX7eX6qGb-2FdvbjZrBd0-2Fk0HtX-2F69Dnt6kJ6DNnr4flmMBCkE8SBrGk-2FjEjhXRXSkuFmm-2BWlH-2BP6NcPOk9Wj5OZryizNc8Z7ENlqA9DIlIUn1WywSJKb35cC3hqK5KWBMX-2FWvfwcd0Vdj99yOfJpN4M-2B-2FsAKZE92cz7wreHaRfWcAYRQ2p6u9HG6qq4YBIvRaWRrDHQ-3D-3DD3Ov_NhjYfgecu9Deld6-2Bas5Yk2yqKBnmW-2B1SxjLjks6hQOcnuQYHcodBre7uZ1DB9Fn2qZiUKoOA5YIOSEnMiOy5vLZ8xSqxKHy7NkCMB-2FrX9pnp-2FPrJMy-2BCS0dNNiJd1B89zLc59yW8VvhiYN81wkh5UA4ql-2ForcsenC3H-2Fx1JL4BwBps0h17GYQl-2BpFP3G0fd3kKkxc8DynbJN7W5EdRGA77AvKu6e9SOuu-2BOED0UBYmnmott2CgglWZZ4bWy-2BaIG0xQ1EiKmBrFZQzkY3-2FdNm-2B0Vu5woq-2BSrJEXW3tUZi3a9yMDJ3uR3Cvoiqtn-2FI-2FiP4osFuWRtmrehpj9-2FyUuZERhaaLcSJ5vgyo6AHdS-2Fjcb8-3D" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn%3DziOAalYvj2xK2Ffv4A39a59s37puDR6mLFSFxGxJ5-2Bo7JidKXyLUhgw3AKVpBJMZCWRmKDpGPI97iLfdsLLX9cVduKow3YeBhZ0HNyRgcTXhuQ-2ByeGAKrZnbXiR9nshTUCFMx-2BkBpgon0HfKHKvarM1Y3RiMA73BCTAijb-2F5Q-2FVt3y0j7QRc-2FKt-2BDRSP3BYKsxpxzzNooPqL-2Brk2482W9tyXzYH3ZwC5fs-2BDl0Taxqu0kxSejpt6rlbOeiH0owCHtOsN6UQ7rMFiedtHIujSLpLDDHLZqb7uwsqqr4-2FtW3zfcV3QayaTVh-2Bel8GJus4h6Yl8AQ9ZXN717hgbLFZ-2FS2v3OBaDORnqYSBo6-2FqWEeCuyRQuaaVk2ho-2FNP9F6a74X3oT1EahjqYPDerbPRAPO1l79Zti34S8livEl8TSGw3T-2FIVnwleqk30MoMJraD-2Bb3sgHvp4A-2BgLUPGuuL80w-2F4VM2RSNTEVtUb4aI-2FLSktDjczmrGspDTFBMZPOYPYts4U6eXcDdr5SOql5BUd2t9-2F99d8v8386vB0rfYY6cEOIXDDNZQpO0ED89vM6bG45auXVbtByJG62bEMPSq4YYCxHlEV3Olr8v-2B85T5y-2BQVzWRJ8MaLfdCm8l-2BI2q1jG2hJehYh-2BjsuYsjzUUoRX7eX6qGb-2FdvbjZrBd0-2Fk0HtX-2F69Dnt6kJ6DNnr4flmMBCkE8SBrGk-2FjEjhXRXSkuFmm-2BWlH-2BP6NcPOk9Wj5OZryizNc8Z7ENlqA9DIlIUn1WywSJKb35cC3hqK5KWBMX-2FWvfwcd0Vdj99yOfJpN4M-2B-2FsAKZE92cz7wreHaRfWcAYRQ2p6u9HG6qq4YBIvRaWRrDHQ-3D-3DD3Ov_NhjYfgecu9Deld6-2Bas5Yk2yqKBnmW-2B1SxjLjks6hQOcnuQYHcodBre7uZ1DB9Fn2qZiUKoOA5YIOSEnMiOy5vLZ8xSqxKHy7NkCMB-2FrX9pnp-2FPrJMy-2BCS0dNNiJd1B89zLc59yW8VvhiYN81wkh5UA4ql-2ForcsenC3H-2Fx1JL4BwBps0h17GYQl-2BpFP3G0fd3kKkxc8DynbJN7W5EdRGA77AvKu6e9SOuu-2BOED0UBYmnmott2CgglWZZ4bWy-2BaIG0xQ1EiKmBrFZQzkY3-2FdNm-2B0Vu5woq-2BSrJEXW3tUZi3a9yMDJ3uR3Cvoiqtn-2FI-2FiP4osFuWRtmrehpj9-2FyUuZERhaaLcSJ5vgyo6AHdS-2Fjcb8-3D&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1658507090302000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1gocmvXP2UJWSnLyTnHjhJ">Planned Parenthood</a> has a steady flow of taxpayer dollars to prop up their brutal business. Abortion is violence and no health care provider should ever be forced to be complicit,&#8221; Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said, dubbing the legislation the &#8220;Payouts for Planned Parenthood Act.&#8221;
&#8220;Payouts for Planned Parenthood Act is just the latest ploy for the Democrats to impose abortion on demand until birth nationwide and funnel money to the abortion lobby that is <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=ziOAalYvj2xK2Ffv4A39a59s37puDR6mLFSFxGxJ5-2Bo7JidKXyLUhgw3AKVpBJMZCWRmKDpGPI97iLfdsLLX9cVduKow3YeBhZ0HNyRgcTUVEC-2BQOzpr9fOlRUvkusClXvqzkJJJDvKOQw1-2F8BrxLIY7jtNwzeQ5VZgZXXsQpermvNO5vq1w6OGtle9WTc2mxTI1jVKwaoPsPk8xlfn0XH4lGTmdC4dq-2BhPXQQEje9BWFWGutYY8oDZga3rQxJIsBqV41-2FWG8dcz00bPx68S5autGBrhbLYRUt5ucB1x3BW-2BeIIXPhgrxFrHoWcGn6hGyZ0xkLMkBz24vzpdNbM9TXV9q0G8PItMGZpww4eHueevSAakdqGvTksYD9ks0TljP4WcWrvk-2Bp1lnzm-2BJTkNp4iPM6deFPljsuUBS2tFrOQgQ0U-2BxZd6C761DLWSG5n77lp-2BwMtIg53rDKTemuf-2FKZQueLpVJWCNMpnLWk0obAjCqqfObY7JY68JpYq0Von0RZeERzsuj-2B21ELl-2Fl8rwthr7cBmCqsNb7FmtqZVkNC9Uqz-2Bq1Pc3Gcr9lLBD6dw3elfJgxJeI1YSWq927yd0SrJSV31DTcLNLXzztVh9IIG0cHQDQG5Al9kbg36kVHbtc5MuRrMnf8fi-2BtpwwQbA6lzSd9m9Wgu3X93Fmj90xiyPEtq1387IXilpbcOoLkexAywMHF5agzCOpDNn9-2FS73COYZhIl6IbDDGpLjuPfFaoDXkkpz-2FYDzFbTuXWJ2o4aoP4e8GB2992JWhVE8NY8DbT8-2F-2FvTTEPj3pBCvy942lrqFXTbf9SpoWQAuy54fMhsi0jm3Hjc-2BiPBWwSuX-2B8NsQ-3D-3DtE5j_NhjYfgecu9Deld6-2Bas5Yk2yqKBnmW-2B1SxjLjks6hQOcnuQYHcodBre7uZ1DB9Fn2qZiUKoOA5YIOSEnMiOy5vLZ8xSqxKHy7NkCMB-2FrX9pnp-2FPrJMy-2BCS0dNNiJd1B89zLc59yW8VvhiYN81wkh5UA4ql-2ForcsenC3H-2Fx1JL4BwBps0h17GYQl-2BpFP3G0fd3kKkxc8DynbJN7W5EdRGA75ZxDhJ-2BK4BFhZfgOknxgpIqKyKtzJuk8G2QwpCbOvOjd9JVejvE56rXKHtIz2Mo7sraZqgEcWIh7tRtGXK6-2B0j-2BGUOHj7yEkFmFo30GWfoOrwncYPhHa-2B61nMalWNkVZJtv0yR6sFjIUJ6BQfENqY4-3D" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn%3DziOAalYvj2xK2Ffv4A39a59s37puDR6mLFSFxGxJ5-2Bo7JidKXyLUhgw3AKVpBJMZCWRmKDpGPI97iLfdsLLX9cVduKow3YeBhZ0HNyRgcTUVEC-2BQOzpr9fOlRUvkusClXvqzkJJJDvKOQw1-2F8BrxLIY7jtNwzeQ5VZgZXXsQpermvNO5vq1w6OGtle9WTc2mxTI1jVKwaoPsPk8xlfn0XH4lGTmdC4dq-2BhPXQQEje9BWFWGutYY8oDZga3rQxJIsBqV41-2FWG8dcz00bPx68S5autGBrhbLYRUt5ucB1x3BW-2BeIIXPhgrxFrHoWcGn6hGyZ0xkLMkBz24vzpdNbM9TXV9q0G8PItMGZpww4eHueevSAakdqGvTksYD9ks0TljP4WcWrvk-2Bp1lnzm-2BJTkNp4iPM6deFPljsuUBS2tFrOQgQ0U-2BxZd6C761DLWSG5n77lp-2BwMtIg53rDKTemuf-2FKZQueLpVJWCNMpnLWk0obAjCqqfObY7JY68JpYq0Von0RZeERzsuj-2B21ELl-2Fl8rwthr7cBmCqsNb7FmtqZVkNC9Uqz-2Bq1Pc3Gcr9lLBD6dw3elfJgxJeI1YSWq927yd0SrJSV31DTcLNLXzztVh9IIG0cHQDQG5Al9kbg36kVHbtc5MuRrMnf8fi-2BtpwwQbA6lzSd9m9Wgu3X93Fmj90xiyPEtq1387IXilpbcOoLkexAywMHF5agzCOpDNn9-2FS73COYZhIl6IbDDGpLjuPfFaoDXkkpz-2FYDzFbTuXWJ2o4aoP4e8GB2992JWhVE8NY8DbT8-2F-2FvTTEPj3pBCvy942lrqFXTbf9SpoWQAuy54fMhsi0jm3Hjc-2BiPBWwSuX-2B8NsQ-3D-3DtE5j_NhjYfgecu9Deld6-2Bas5Yk2yqKBnmW-2B1SxjLjks6hQOcnuQYHcodBre7uZ1DB9Fn2qZiUKoOA5YIOSEnMiOy5vLZ8xSqxKHy7NkCMB-2FrX9pnp-2FPrJMy-2BCS0dNNiJd1B89zLc59yW8VvhiYN81wkh5UA4ql-2ForcsenC3H-2Fx1JL4BwBps0h17GYQl-2BpFP3G0fd3kKkxc8DynbJN7W5EdRGA75ZxDhJ-2BK4BFhZfgOknxgpIqKyKtzJuk8G2QwpCbOvOjd9JVejvE56rXKHtIz2Mo7sraZqgEcWIh7tRtGXK6-2B0j-2BGUOHj7yEkFmFo30GWfoOrwncYPhHa-2B61nMalWNkVZJtv0yR6sFjIUJ6BQfENqY4-3D&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1658507090302000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2WeLhvyc5SU7xazw8xACwc">spending $150 million</a> to get them elected,&#8221; she added. &#8220;They will be held accountable for their radical, deeply <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=ziOAalYvj2xK2Ffv4A39a59s37puDR6mLFSFxGxJ5-2Bo7JidKXyLUhgw3AKVpBJMZCWRmKDpGPI97iLfdsLLX9cVduKow3YeBhZ0HNyRgcTVxX0ww2WXY68-2BBls7c0QUzv9VBrrJvJEUOOvOLXVMI-2B9Ds1sw7fTN-2FFMFmYrPArxd5s0QvODL-2FqtkZRFMrucrECiv-2FEOpd1MX9WKUCUT20DKPcnr-2FIJO1uKxuW1fKyTJVlao02xrOt2-2B4eExGjVkISnNdE0NKSP7iKUb00SDyGi9urcB8CBKUrAcVSmufst44hNWwk9WXtX-2FPAKb8bRSgv-2BhNDWtMIBcQJkOn2mpb-2Bt2H2iLHT-2Fx-2BAZ4gXAmw-2BlMQvmrF8nrMQEcjZkjQ05TZUMF-2BrIa2dFw5EPJ-2FHDmjmVRzwW3qEsdoU6pHzfN3HRl811Vfn-2BaLon3HSV6M7AFzNkkJ7a0ZxQCLqzstHu10E9PrW-2BCes-2FJq8yMYVrlF9P-2FFt5COyaVGC-2FVBsj2gSK4RhNsTHbCOdggElkJfNsZPf6o-2BQ1qA7z4UeqHaLCuVpJBAlQcep-2BSaTgv56QI9WskfTIh-2F4i-2FKCdQDNwhSthZP1AhcPnpzO3-2FcLlNH6vCRwvjTAYRomNeam95mw5ryWY1cJtTwVBzNFGmiMKJo7imZ4aSUKcuF0jSTAVTsk-2FSGJyJnupXQV3eabsw2C7jgT9VgzcsyLTNWDc5zc9QODR2SgYVTCdgov-2B3Kie12sWED1Cgr-2F4aG2RQygmbZaVEhKeM-2BoO5Wa_NhjYfgecu9Deld6-2Bas5Yk2yqKBnmW-2B1SxjLjks6hQOcnuQYHcodBre7uZ1DB9Fn2qZiUKoOA5YIOSEnMiOy5vLZ8xSqxKHy7NkCMB-2FrX9pnp-2FPrJMy-2BCS0dNNiJd1B89zLc59yW8VvhiYN81wkh5UA4ql-2ForcsenC3H-2Fx1JL4BwBps0h17GYQl-2BpFP3G0fd3kKkxc8DynbJN7W5EdRGA79SHHonYtRzoGabNIxfTldgfkRH-2BuS8SwB-2FAvs-2B1oAx4-2FlAY0dNG6FFiWfP-2F5glSlSUN0P43SkMJKX3cTQYqANZxc1ocMcQS3vW3WulZsOAoZteMF-2FE2nKReZPRrAuZOnikNXiM5EDOOdVTajjAQDQc-3D" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn%3DziOAalYvj2xK2Ffv4A39a59s37puDR6mLFSFxGxJ5-2Bo7JidKXyLUhgw3AKVpBJMZCWRmKDpGPI97iLfdsLLX9cVduKow3YeBhZ0HNyRgcTVxX0ww2WXY68-2BBls7c0QUzv9VBrrJvJEUOOvOLXVMI-2B9Ds1sw7fTN-2FFMFmYrPArxd5s0QvODL-2FqtkZRFMrucrECiv-2FEOpd1MX9WKUCUT20DKPcnr-2FIJO1uKxuW1fKyTJVlao02xrOt2-2B4eExGjVkISnNdE0NKSP7iKUb00SDyGi9urcB8CBKUrAcVSmufst44hNWwk9WXtX-2FPAKb8bRSgv-2BhNDWtMIBcQJkOn2mpb-2Bt2H2iLHT-2Fx-2BAZ4gXAmw-2BlMQvmrF8nrMQEcjZkjQ05TZUMF-2BrIa2dFw5EPJ-2FHDmjmVRzwW3qEsdoU6pHzfN3HRl811Vfn-2BaLon3HSV6M7AFzNkkJ7a0ZxQCLqzstHu10E9PrW-2BCes-2FJq8yMYVrlF9P-2FFt5COyaVGC-2FVBsj2gSK4RhNsTHbCOdggElkJfNsZPf6o-2BQ1qA7z4UeqHaLCuVpJBAlQcep-2BSaTgv56QI9WskfTIh-2F4i-2FKCdQDNwhSthZP1AhcPnpzO3-2FcLlNH6vCRwvjTAYRomNeam95mw5ryWY1cJtTwVBzNFGmiMKJo7imZ4aSUKcuF0jSTAVTsk-2FSGJyJnupXQV3eabsw2C7jgT9VgzcsyLTNWDc5zc9QODR2SgYVTCdgov-2B3Kie12sWED1Cgr-2F4aG2RQygmbZaVEhKeM-2BoO5Wa_NhjYfgecu9Deld6-2Bas5Yk2yqKBnmW-2B1SxjLjks6hQOcnuQYHcodBre7uZ1DB9Fn2qZiUKoOA5YIOSEnMiOy5vLZ8xSqxKHy7NkCMB-2FrX9pnp-2FPrJMy-2BCS0dNNiJd1B89zLc59yW8VvhiYN81wkh5UA4ql-2ForcsenC3H-2Fx1JL4BwBps0h17GYQl-2BpFP3G0fd3kKkxc8DynbJN7W5EdRGA79SHHonYtRzoGabNIxfTldgfkRH-2BuS8SwB-2FAvs-2B1oAx4-2FlAY0dNG6FFiWfP-2F5glSlSUN0P43SkMJKX3cTQYqANZxc1ocMcQS3vW3WulZsOAoZteMF-2FE2nKReZPRrAuZOnikNXiM5EDOOdVTajjAQDQc-3D&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1658507090302000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2-NcWyZ7S3t45mqkaA85Lo">unpopular</a> agenda.”

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House Passes Contraception Bill Threatening ‘Commonsense Conscience Laws’

House Passes Democrats' Contraception Bill

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) sarcastically suggested Thursday that Democrats hold a session to teach Republicans about &#8220;the birds and the bees&#8221; in light of the current debate on contraception.
&#8220;Should we have a session on the birds and the bees?&#8221; asked the California Democrat.
&#8220;I wonder if some of my Republican colleagues understand the basics about birth control, family planning and what is happening in their own homes,&#8221; she added. &#8220;They want control — but we won’t give up our rights and we are not going back!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Should we have a session on the birds and the bees? I wonder if some of my Republican colleagues understand the basics about birth control, family planning and what is happening in their own homes. 
They want control — but we won’t give up our rights and we are not going back!
&mdash; Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamPelosi/status/1550141047002603520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In the aftermath of the overturn of Roe v. Wade, Pelosi has repeatedly warned Americans that their &#8220;freedom to use contraception&#8221; or to &#8220;marry the person&#8221; they love is on the line.
Democrats are pushing the <a href="https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Right%20to%20Contraception%20Act%20FINAL.pdf">Right To Contraception Act</a>, legislation that would &#8220;protect a person’s ability to access contraceptives and to engage in contraception, and to protect a health care provider’s ability to provide contraceptives, contraception, and information related to contraception.&#8221;
“It is outrageous—we keep using that word—60 years after Griswold was decided, 60 years after Griswold, women must again fight for our basic right to birth control against an extremist Republican Party,” Pelosi said Wednesday, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/birth-control-access-bill-heads-to-house-vote-11658406600">according to the Wall Street Journal</a>. “Let us be clear: we are not going back. For our daughters, or granddaughters, we are not going back.”
The Right To Contraception Act would supersede the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
John McCormack with National Review notes: &#8220;The Democrats’ &#8216;<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20220718/BILLS-117HR8373IH.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-testid="standard-link">Right to Contraception Act&#8217;</a> explicitly condemns (in one of its official findings) state conscience laws that protect health-care providers who refuse to offer contraception (a term that the bill says includes sterilization procedures).&#8221;
&#8220;By including <a href="https://twitter.com/McCormackJohn/status/1549160656984760326" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-testid="standard-link">the same poison-pill language</a> about RFRA in their “Right to Contraception Act,” Democrats appear to be taking a page from their 2012 playbook,&#8221; McCormack notes, &#8220;picking a fight over religious liberty in order to portray Republicans as opposing the legal right to contraception.&#8221;
The House of Representatives passed the bill Thursday, which comes after the House passed a bill Tuesday that would codify same-sex and interracial marriages: The Respect for Marriage Act.

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Nancy Pelosi Proposes Teaching Republicans About ‘The Birds And The Bees’ Amid Democrat Posturing On Contraception

Nancy Pelosi Proposes Teaching Republicans About 'The Birds And The Bees' 

Democratic Party

Nancy Pelosi

Republicans

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received its first application for an over-the-counter birth control pill on Monday.
The application comes just weeks after the Supreme Court&#8217;s ruling overturned Roe v. Wade, which has some critics concerned about access to contraceptives.
The company behind the application, HRA Pharma, a Perrigo Company, seeks to become the first daily birth control pill available in the U.S. without a prescription.
&#8220;This historic application marks a groundbreaking moment in contraceptive access and reproductive equity in the U.S.,&#8221; <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/perrigos-hra-pharma-submits-application-to-fda-for-first-ever-otc-birth-control-pill-301583602.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Frédérique Welgryn, Chief Strategic Operations and Innovation Officer at HRA Pharma, in a statement. &#8220;More than 60 years ago, prescription birth control pills in the U.S. empowered women to plan if and when they want to get pregnant. Moving a safe and effective prescription birth control pill to OTC will help even more women and people access contraception without facing unnecessary barriers.&#8221;
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has supported the move to make birth control available over-the-counter in <a href="https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2019/10/over-the-counter-access-to-hormonal-contraception" target="_blank" rel="noopener">its research</a>, citing barriers to access as a reason for inconsistent or non-use of birth control pills.
<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26666711/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to</a> the National Library of Medicine in a 2016 study, 29% of American women who had ever tried to get a prescription for birth control reported a problem with obtaining a prescription or refills of birth control pills. The percentage was higher among those who were uninsured and Spanish-speaking women in the study.
Despite the push by the company to provide the new over-the-counter option, experts don&#8217;t expect any change to occur immediately. Most FDA approvals take more than a year. In addition, if approved, the access would only include HRA Pharm&#8217;s Opill pill.
In March, more than 50 members of the House&#8217;s Pro-Choice Caucus also sent a letter urging the FDA to review over-the-counter applications for birth control pills right away.
“This is a critical issue for reproductive health, rights, and justice,” the lawmakers <a href="https://pressley.house.gov/sites/pressley.house.gov/files/PCC%20OTC%20letter.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in the letter led by Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Diana DeGette (D-CO), and Judy Chu (D-CA). “We ask for your ongoing commitment to advance public health and follow the science and data in all decisions, including the timely review of the oral contraception applications.”
The push for increased options for birth control pills is one of the multiple areas of emphasis following the recent Supreme Court abortion ruling. Despite a push by some on the left that have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/activists-launch-panicked-social-media-campaign-after-roe-here-are-six-misconceptions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> conservatives will &#8220;go after&#8221; birth control next, the court&#8217;s ruling showed no evidence that this will be the case.
Instead, access to abortion pills has become a discussion for states seeking to further limit abortions following the court&#8217;s decision.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves (R) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mississippi-governor-says-doctors-in-his-state-will-lose-their-medical-license-for-prescribing-abortion-pills" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last week that doctors in his state would lose their medical licenses for prescribing abortion pills. Ahead of the Supreme Court’s ruling, Governor John Bel Edwards (D-LA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/louisiana-governor-signs-bill-outlawing-the-mailing-of-abortion-pills" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> a bill into law that will make mailing abortion pills a crime in his state.
In March, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (R) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/south-dakota-passes-governor-noems-bill-to-ban-abortion-by-telemedicine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> a bill into law banning telemedicine abortion in her state.

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FDA Receives First Application For Over-The-Counter Birth Control Pill

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On Wednesday, Democratic lawmakers in California are set to introduce legislation that would enshrine the right to abortion and contraception in the state’s constitution.
Senate Constitutional Amendment 10 would not change the abortion laws in the state, but Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) said that pro-life moves in other states convinced her that additional protections might be necessary, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-06-08/california-leaders-move-to-enshrine-abortion-contraceptive-rights-in-state-constitution">reported</a> the Los Angeles Times.
“California is going to double down,” Atkins said. “We’re going to make sure we have this right solidified and we’re going go [sic] further than that and strengthen our foundation to provide services to Californians. We already know that women are coming here from other places to get abortions. We need to make sure that we can address the needs of Californians as well as anyone else who might come here.”
The bill would need to get two-thirds of the vote in both the state Senate and the Assembly before the June 30 deadline for statewide ballot placement in November. Then constituents would vote on the proposal. According to the Times, the Democrats have enough seats in both chambers to get the amendment through with no Republicans on board.
“This is a healthcare decision,” Atkins said. “And we should look at it as such. &#8230; You don’t always think about needing this until you need it. And that’s maybe the privilege we’ve had for 50 years, but now a whole generation of women are going to have to think about it and particularly those that don’t live in California or states like California.”
According to the Times, a short description of SCA 10 says it “would amend the California Constitution to prohibit the state from denying or interfering with an individual’s reproductive freedom in their most intimate decisions, which includes their fundamental right to choose to have an abortion and their fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptives.”
Notably, the legislation does not need the signature of Governor Gavin Newsom to be included on the ballot — only the California Legislature needs to approve it, although Newsom has shown his support for such an amendment in the recent past.
In May, the Supreme Court’s draft majority opinion of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization indicated that the Justices would likely overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, returning the issue of abortion to the states. After the document was leaked, Newsom and other lawmakers <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-05-02/newsom-lawmakers-say-california-constitution-should-explicitly-protect-abortion-rights">said</a> in a written statement they would take the question of enshrining the right to abortion in the constitution to the public in November.
“California will not stand idly by as women across America are stripped of their rights and the progress so many have fought for gets erased,” Newsom wrote in the statement, co-signed by Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood). “We will fight.”
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California Dems To Introduce Bill Enshrining Abortion, Contraception Rights Into State Constitution

California

Democrats

Gavin Newsom

Roe v. Wade's Long And Brutal Legacy

Republican Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) tweeted Monday that he and others are pledging to refuse to confirm Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden&#8217;s pick to helm the Health and Human Services administration, Xavier Becerra, over concerns he&#8217;ll use the office to target abortion opponents, similar to the way he targeted pro-life crisis pregnancy centers in California.
Biden announced Becerra&#8217;s new role Monday morning, defying expectations that he would appoint the former Congressman and current California Attorney General to a role within the Department of Justice.
Democrats, and particularly progressives, applauded the choice, noting that Becerra was an advocate for universal health coverage while in Congress and is recently on the record as a supporter for a Medicare-for-All-style health care system, though Joe Biden refused to make such a plan part of his campaign for president, citing a need, instead, for overhauling and refining parts of the Affordable Care Act.
Republicans, though, were quick to point out that Becerra signals a willingness on the part of a Biden administration to target abortion opponents directly. As attorney general, Becerra tried to force pro-life crisis pregnancy centers, which provide free prenatal care to expectant mothers but do not offer abortions, to provide potential patients with information about where they could obtain a free or low-cost abortion.
Cotton tweeted his pledge on Monday, saying, flatly that he would be &#8220;voting no, and Becerra should be rejected by the Senate.&#8221;
&#8220;Xavier Becerra spent his career attacking pro-life Americans and tried to force crisis pregnancy centers to advertise abortions,&#8221; Cotton wrote. &#8220;He&#8217;s been a disaster in California and he is unqualified to lead HHS. I’ll be voting no, and Becerra should be rejected by the Senate.&#8221;
The resulting legal case, National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra, made it all the way to the Supreme Court, where Becerra lost. The Supreme Court approved a preliminary injunction against the law, titled the &#8220;Reproductive FACT Act,&#8221; noting that requiring pro-life pregnancy centers to inform patients about abortion likely violated their First Amendment rights to both free speech and to free exercise.
At the time, <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/26/supreme-court-crisis-pregnancy-centers-673183">Politico notes</a>, Becerra pledged to continue targeting abortion opponents.
&#8220;California Attorney General Xavier Becerra called the decision &#8216;unfortunate&#8217; and said the state will continue working to &#8216;ensure that Californians receive accurate information&#8217; about their health options. His office did not indicate how the state would respond,&#8221; the outlet noted. “&#8217;When it comes to making their health decisions, all California women — regardless of their economic background or zip code — deserve access to critical and non-biased information to make their own informed decisions,'&#8221; Becerra said.&#8221;
Pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List also pointed out that Becerra continued prosecuting David Daleidin, a journalist who exposed Planned Parenthood&#8217;s alleged involvement in &#8220;baby parts trafficking.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
We call on Republican senators to stand firm &amp; stop this unacceptable nomination from going forward. (3/3)
&mdash; SBA Pro-Life America (@sbaprolife) <a href="https://twitter.com/sbaprolife/status/1335742190660759552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The appointment does seem in line with a potential Biden administration&#8217;s approach to pro-lifers and others who have a religious objection to promoting or providing abortion or contraception. Biden has promised to reinstate the Affordable Care Act&#8217;s contraception mandate, <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/biden-says-catholic-nuns-inspire-him-to-run-plans-to-sue-little-sisters-of-the-poor-12427">Catholic News Agency reports</a>, removing freedom of conscious protections that exempt religious employers from violating religious beliefs preventing them from providing birth control free of charge to employees.
&#8220;Shortly after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Little Sisters of the Poor in Little Sisters of the Poor v. Pennsylvania on July 8, Biden said he was &#8216;disappointed&#8217; by the decision and promised to reinstate Obama-era policies requiring the sisters to ensure access to birth control in violation of their religious beliefs,&#8221; CNA reported.
“If I am elected I will restore the Obama-Biden policy that existed before the [Supreme Court’s 2014] Hobby Lobby ruling: providing an exemption for houses of worship and an accommodation for nonprofit organizations with religious missions,” Biden said in July.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra Announces Results Of His Office’s Investigation Into Stephon Clark Killing

Republicans Say They Will Refuse To Confirm Biden HHS Pick Over Concern He’ll Target Pro-Lifers

David Daleiden

Health and Human Services

Little Sisters of the Poor

Unable to muster enough concern among constituents with questions on abortion, same-sex marriage, and sexual assault, Democrats focused Wednesday grilling judge Amy Coney Barrett about her feelings on birth control and specifically the 1965 Supreme Court case, Griswold v. Connecticut, where the Court found a &#8220;right to privacy&#8221; in the Constitution&#8217;s Bill of Rights for couples seeking to use birth control.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) laid into Barrett on the subject Wednesday afternoon, voicing concern that women who were watching Barrett&#8217;s Supreme Court nomination hearings could be &#8220;deterred&#8221; from using birth control over fears that Barrett might use her position on the Court to outlaw contraception.
&#8220;Barrett says she is able to express her opinion on Brown v Board of Education because she has made past comments about it, but Griswold she stays away from giving a legal position,&#8221; Fox News reported in their liveblog of the event. &#8220;Blumenthal, asking Barrett about her not giving an opinion on Griswold &#8212; which legalized contraception, suggests people may be deterred from using birth control.&#8221;
&#8220;I want you to keep in mind how many people are listening and watching because they may take a message from what you say, they may see what you say and be deterred from using contraceptives or feel a fear that it could be banned,&#8221; Blumenthal said.
Barrett responded with her now-trademark candor, telling Blumenthal that she would be &#8220;surprised&#8221; if people believed birth control &#8220;was going to be banned.&#8221;
Clearly, left-leaning activists are concerned that birth control could be banned as Twitter exploded in worry that Barrett&#8217;s non-answer meant she&#8217;d be open to reconsidering Griswold and potentially banning contraception.
&#8220;Under questioning from Sen. Blumenthal, Judge Barrett refuses to answer unequivocally whether Griswold was correctly decided. Griswold gave Americans the right to use contraception. This came right after Barrett said Brown v. the Board of Education was correctly decided,&#8221; MSNBC&#8217;s Kyle Griffin panicked on Twitter.
Griswold is, of course, more than a half-century old, and one of the foundational cases for &#8220;substantive due process&#8221; and introduced the concept of a &#8220;right to privacy&#8221; in the &#8220;penumbras and emanations&#8221; of several Constitutional amendments, including the 4th. It, arguably, led directly to the Court&#8217;s decision in Roe v. Wade, which extended the right to privacy in family planning decisions to procuring an abortion.
Barrett noted that it is unlikely that the issue would come before the court. Recent Supreme Court cases on birth control have centered around the Constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act&#8217;s birth control mandate, which requires even religious employers to supply contraception to employees free of charge through their health insurance plans. The Supreme Court determined, in a split decision, that such a mandate violated the First Amendment&#8217;s guarantee of Free Exercise of religion. The Court did not consider any privacy concerns.
Although Democrats were studiously avoiding Barrett&#8217;s Catholic faith during the Tuesday question-and-answer portion of her confirmation hearings, Fox News notes that on Wednesday, &#8216;Democrats questioned Barrett about cases that they suggested might be at odds with her Catholic faith,&#8221; including cases about contraception, abortion, and gay rights.
Doubling down on his accusation following the Griswold exchange, Blumenthal suggested that Barrett might &#8220;criminalize&#8221; same-sex relationships, to which Barrett replied that, &#8220;[t]o suggest that&#8217;s the kind of America I want to create isn&#8217;t based on any facts in my record.&#8221;

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Dems Panic That Amy Coney Barrett Hearings Could ‘Deter’ Women From Using Birth Control

Amy Coney Barrett

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