On Friday, President Joe Biden acknowledged the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision on Roe v. Wade. There was one word, though, curiously absent from his statement.
In the press release, which was co-signed by Vice President Kamala Harris, Biden wrote: “In the past four years, reproductive health, including the right to choose, has been under relentless and extreme attack. We are deeply committed to making sure everyone has access to care — including reproductive health care — regardless of income, race, zip code, health insurance status, or immigration status.”
Biden went on to state his administration “is committed to codifying Roe v. Wade and appointing judges that respect foundational precedents like Roe.”
The one word that was very obviously not in the statement from the White House is abortion. That is intentional.
Over the last several years, the left has done its level best to obscure reality and hide the truth behind semantic tricks. Rather than referring to “abortion,” Democrats instead say things like “reproductive health” and the “right to choose,” because, after all, who would want to block someone’s access to health or restrict their right to make choices?
In just a short period of time, the left has totally shifted. In the era of President Bill Clinton, the mantra was “safe, legal, and rare.” But in the age of two-time Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, the left has declared: “Shout your abortion!”
By contrast, former President Donald Trump was a vocal advocate for the pro-life movement. Last year, he became the first sitting president to participate in the annual March for Life rally in Washington, D.C. His vice president, Mike Pence, also participated in the event.
And just one day before he left office Jan. 20, Trump declared Jan. 22, 2021, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. In his proclamation, Trump said: “Every human life is a gift to the world. Whether born or unborn, young or old, healthy or sick, every person is made in the holy image of God.”
“I call on the Congress to join me in protecting and defending the dignity of every human life, including those not yet born,” he continued. “I call on the American people to continue to care for women in unexpected pregnancies and to support adoption and foster care in a more meaningful way, so every child can have a loving home. And finally, I ask every citizen of this great nation to listen to the sound of silence caused by a generation lost to us, and then to raise their voices for all affected by abortion, both seen and unseen.”
It was not an accident Biden released this statement Friday — the day Trump set aside to acknowledge the value of all human life, born and unborn.
Biden has indicated he plans to soon reverse the Mexico City Policy, which requires foreign non-governmental organizations and bodies that receive U.S. tax money to certify they don’t provide abortions, offer referrals for abortions, or advocate for abortion access. The president has also in the past suggested he supports repealing the Hyde Amendment, which bans the use of federal Medicaid money to pay for abortions. The majority of Americans — even those who support abortion — are opposed to public funding for abortions.
On Thursday, though, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki sidestepped questions about both the Hyde Amendment and the Mexico City Policy. Rather than acknowledging Biden’s intentions, she told a reporter for the Catholic news agency EWTN that Biden “is a devout Catholic” who “attends church regularly.”