Planned Parenthood, ACLU Promise to Fight President Donald Trump on Abortion

National   |   Micaiah Bilger   |   Nov 10, 2016   |   11:01AM   |   Washington, DC

It should come as no surprise that abortion advocacy groups reacted to Donald Trump’s election victory with fighting words.

The political arms of Planned Parenthood, NARAL, Emily’s List and other pro-abortion groups spent tens of millions of dollars to attack Trump and promote pro-abortion Democrat Hillary Clinton this past year.

Trump said he will appoint pro-life judges to the U.S. Supreme Court and sign legislation to defund Planned Parenthood as long as it keeps doing abortions. He also said he wants to make permanent the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits taxpayer funding of abortions through Medicaid. While some of Trump’s actions and statements have left a number of pro-lifers uncertain, pro-abortion groups believe Trump’s presidency is a serious threat to abortion.

On Wednesday morning, Planned Parenthood CEO Cecile Richards vowed that she will fight to keep Planned Parenthood open and abortion legal, according to the Washington Times. The abortion group could lose big if it is defunded; it currently receives about half a billion taxpayer dollars every year from the government.

“The majority of Americans, including Trump’s own voters, support access to health care at Planned Parenthood and want abortion to stay legal and safe,” Richards said. “We will fight to make sure those rights are protected and that people can still access the care they need. We will not give up, we will not back down, and we will not be silenced.”

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The American Civil Liberties Union, which often files lawsuits on behalf of abortion facilities and pro-abortion groups, already is pressuring Trump to take back his pro-life promises.

MassLive reports:

ACLU executive director Anthony D. Romero urged Trump to “reconsider and change course on certain campaign promises” made in months leading up to the election regarding abortion, immigration and the use of torture. …

Should Trump seek to enact such measures from the White House, his administration “will have to contend with the full firepower of the ACLU at every step,” Romero said.

In its statement, NARAL Pro-Choice America promised to be women’s “voice and advocates to make sure women don’t suffer under Trump.” NARAL, which claims to be “pro-choice,” is the same group that attacks pro-life pregnancy centers that offer women alternatives to abortion and material resources for them and their babies.

NARAL President Illyse Hogue said Trump’s vision for America is “dangerous” for women.

“We as an organization and as a progressive movement exist to fight for the dignity and equality of all Americans,” Hogue said in reference to abortion. “We hold the line–in good times and in bad–to defend the freedoms that are enshrined in our constitution and that define what it means to be American. That mission is as urgent today as it has ever been.”

National Abortion Federation President Vicki Saporta reacted similarly in an interview with BuzzFeed News, saying their group will continue to fight to keep abortion on demand available to women.

“We’ve gone from potentially having a president who supported the repeal of the Hyde Amendment, to one who supports overturning Roe v. Wade,” Saporta said. “He’s not the first Republican president who has wanted to overturn Roe. Ronald Regan and the two Bushes did, and none of them were successful.”

The Hyde Amendment and openings on the U.S. Supreme Court have been key concerns for pro-life and abortion advocates alike in the election. One seat currently is open on the Supreme Court, and two more could come open during Trump’s presidency. The next president’s nominees could shape the future of abortion laws for years to come.

Trump promised to appoint the kinds of judges to the Supreme Court that would please pro-life voters. He released two separate lists of potential Supreme Court nominees, both of which went over well with pro-life voters and organizations. Leading pro-life groups will undoubtedly hold Trump’s feet to the fire as he will take office with the ability to already appoint one member of the Supreme Court following the death of pro-life Justice Antonin Scalia.

Trump also promised to make permanent the Hyde Amendment, while Clinton wanted to repeal it and force taxpayers to fund abortions through Medicaid. Hyde has been a key target of abortion advocacy groups in the past few years, but Trump’s election and the Republican control of both the U.S. House and Senate are strong signs that Hyde will remain in place, protecting taxpayer dollars and, most importantly, unborn babies’ lives.

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