Forty years ago this month, the Supreme Court made a decision that would fundamentally alter the rights of the unborn in America.  Since Roe v. Wade, the lives of some 55 million unborn children have been taken by abortion.  On this somber anniversary, we are reminded of the great challenges that still exist to protect the right to life.

Every year in late January, the March for Life rally in Washington is a powerful demonstration of the support across America for defending life and overturning Roe v. Wade.  Hundreds of thousands of Americans march in peaceful protest down the National Mall to the steps of the Supreme Court.  Their showing of solidarity serves to raise awareness about the tragic impact that Roe v. Wade continues to have on innocent lives.  Four decades have not diminished the resounding call for human dignity and justice.

Question of Funding

One cause of significant concern is whether taxpayer dollars are being used to subsidize a practice many Americans morally oppose.  Despite the fact that current policy restricts the use of federal funding for abortions, the President’s controversial health-care law allows for plans that provide abortion services in the newly created state-run insurance exchanges, which are federally subsidized.

Under the Obama Administration, abortion provider Planned Parenthood has received a record amount of taxpayer funding.  According to the organization’s latest annual report, government subsidies totaled $542 million.  In that period of time, Planned Parenthood performed nearly 334,000 abortions.  Similarly, organizations that promote or provide abortions in other countries also can receive U.S. aid, since President Obama reversed the Mexico City Policy that had once prohibited it.

Continued Vigilance

I am a longtime supporter of efforts to uphold and protect the God-given gift of life, from the laws I championed while serving in Mississippi’s state legislature to the Life at Conception Act that I introduced in Congress in 2011.  I remain committed to fighting the Obama Administration’s repeated attempts to advance a pro-abortion agenda with taxpayer funds.  Such overreach infringes on the religious liberty guaranteed by our Constitution.

Efforts to rein in the Administration’s pro-abortion agenda are already underway in the new Congress.  On January 22, Rep. Alan Nunnelee (R-Miss.) introduced the Stop Abortion Funding in Multi-State Exchange Plans Act (SAFE Act) in the U.S. House of Representatives.  The legislation would ensure that taxpayers are not forced to subsidize abortion coverage included in the state-run exchanges of the President’s health-care law.  

Making a Difference

Action at the local level is making a real difference.  Since 2010, states have enacted record numbers of laws instituting regulations on abortion providers.  Mississippi, for example, has strict abortion laws and the lowest rate of abortions in the nation.

We can be encouraged that voices supporting life have consistently been heard despite the decision handed down by the Supreme Court justices in 1973.  Although legalized abortion remains one of the most divisive issues of our day, efforts to protect the innocent go on with prayerful outreach and an unyielding respect for the value of human life.