The following statement may be attributed to Amy Gehrke, Executive Director of Illinois Right to Life:
Today’s Executive Order on abortion signed by President Biden is a master class in the doublespeak and hypocrisy so often displayed by abortion advocates. It perpetuates much of the misinformation surrounding the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, indirectly threatens pregnancy resource centers, and promises to use taxpayer dollars to promote abortion.
Specifically:
- The Order perpetuates the despicable lie that Dobbs jeopardizes care for women experiencing miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, stating, “HHS will take steps to ensure all patients – including pregnant women and those experiencing pregnancy loss – have access to…emergency medical care.”
- Today’s Executive Order appears to level an ominous threat at pro-life pregnancy resource centers: “The President’s Executive Order takes additional steps to…[protect] people seeking reproductive health care from inaccurate information, fraudulent schemes, or deceptive practices.”
- The Executive Order seeks to expand the use of abortifacients and reinforces misinformation that Dobbs threatens contraception. The Order states HHS will, “Protect access to contraception” including IUDs and Morning-After pills.
- The Order directs U.S. tax dollars to be used to promote abortion: “HHS will increase outreach and public education efforts regarding access to reproductive health care services—including abortion…”
- After weeks of ignoring threats to the U.S. Supreme Court, pregnancy resource centers, pro-life churches, and other pro-life organizations, today’s Order seeks to, “[E]nsure the safety of patients, providers, and third parties, and to protect the security of other entities that are providing, dispensing, or delivering reproductive health care services.” There is no mention of protecting pro-life organizations that continue to face threats from radical pro-abortion organizations.
In addition, during today’s press conference on the Executive Order, President Biden again called on Congress to pass legislation legalizing abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy. According to a January 2022 Marist Poll, a full 71 percent of Americans oppose abortion after the first trimester of pregnancy.
Today’s Executive Order is further proof that this Administration as well as many Democrats, including our own Governor J.B. Pritzker, are in lock-step with the abortion industry and are completely out of touch with what most Americans believe about abortion.