This month, I introduced a bill that would create a permanent, comprehensive ban on the use of taxpayer funding for abortion. The U.S. Congress regularly passes measures that make it illegal to spend federal dollars on the procedure, but the statues are temporary and patchwork. With my legislation, I aim to make it clear that American taxpayers should never be forced to contribute to abortion.

The timing of my bill is key. In the pro-life movement, we observe Sanctity of Life month every January, but this one is special. The wind is at our backs as Republicans hold Congress and the White House. In the coming years, we have numerous opportunities to reverse permissive Biden-era abortion rules and to do what we can to support unborn children, mothers, and families.

Senate Taking Steps to Protect the Most Vulnerable

The Senate is considering numerous pieces of legislation to advance pro-life efforts. I was an original cosponsor of legislation that would set the standard of care infants must receive if they survive an attempted abortion. Such a bill should not be controversial. For that reason, I am disturbed that every single Democrat opposed the measure.

I have also cosponsored an effort that would accomplish two important goals: ending federal funding for Planned Parenthood and maintaining assistance for vital women’s health care services. That action would redirect previously allocated funds away from Planned Parenthood, a major abortion provider. It would use those resources to support eligible providers that offer cancer screenings, prenatal and postnatal care, and other important services for women.

Mississippi is a seedbed of the pro-life movement, and I have joined a resolution commending some of our state’s contributions to the cause. My fellow home-state Senator, Cindy Hyde-Smith, introduced the measure recognizing Representative Becky Currie. She authored the Gestational Age Act, which prohibited abortion after 15 weeks in Mississippi. Activists challenged the law, and the case ultimately led the Supreme Court to reverse Roe v Wade, ending the federal right to an abortion.

President Trump Poised to Undo Biden’s Abortion Regime

That monumental Supreme Court ruling, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, gave states the power to make decisions about this issue. But after it was announced, the Biden administration consistently attempted to claw back that authority to the federal level. I am optimistic that the Trump administration will quickly reverse President Biden’s overreaching policies.

For example, the former president allowed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct abortions, in direct violation of a 1992 law. President Trump has nominated Doug Collins to lead the agency, and he is poised to correct course. In Mr. Collins’ confirmation hearing, he promised that the VA will once again follow the law.

Progress Represents Decades of Faithful Work

In the two years since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, the pro-life movement has learned that our work is not done. For decades, our advocacy focused on the federal level. Through the combined efforts of organizers, elected officials, and untold volunteers, Roe v Wade was eventually overturned. Now, the work continues in state houses, ballot initiatives, and local grassroots campaigns.

We have reason to hope that this work will succeed, just as the efforts to overturn Roe succeeded. This month, thousands of Americans braved icy temperatures in Washington, D.C., to advocate for unborn children. The annual event, known as the March for Life, sends a strong message to the nation’s capital, and it is accompanied by events in states around the U.S – including Mississippi. These attendees demonstrate once again that America is full of citizens eager to see the most vulnerable lives protected.