President Trump showed some very good political instincts this morning with a tweet criticizing the House Freedom Caucus on their opposition to the new GOP healthcare bill:
The irony is that the Freedom Caucus, which is very pro-life and against Planned Parenthood, allows P.P. to continue if they stop this plan!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 24, 2017
The president is essentially arguing here that if the Freedom Caucus truly cares about the life issue — which they claim to — then they ought to support the Republican-drafted American Health Care Act (AHCA) despite their economic concerns. The measure would be the single most pro-life bill ever passed by Congress, after Obamacare gave way to the biggest expansion of abortion on demand since Roe v. Wade. Planned Parenthood would be stripped of the government funding they have received since 1970, and Hyde Amendment protections would be instated, ensuring that federal funds are not used to support abortion.
Though pro-lifers have had their doubts about Trump since he first announced his candidacy for president, he has consistently reaffirmed his pro-life positions and followed through on a number of promises since taking office. During the first week of his presidency, Trump re-established the Mexico City Policy, banning American foreign aid from going to international organizations that promote or fund abortion. Additionally, the president also nominated pro-life Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court — an extremely important step to fighting abortion long-term.
Despite President Trump’s tweet, the Freedom Caucus does not appear to be changing their opposition to the bill.
Photo credit: Gage Skidmore
