Since the U.S. Supreme Court unexpectedly affirmed Roe v. Wade in 1973, sincere people have worked relentlessly to overturn it. Bill and Stacy Dunn are local examples. Mike Pence is a national example. If you believe life begins at conception, then any abortion is murder. And you must agree with the Alabama Supreme Court that tiny frozen embryos are people with legal rights.
Others in the Republican Party have given lip-service to overturning Roe but it’s never been their primary goal. Donald Trump is an example. Over his career he’s been pro-choice and pro-life. During the 2024 primaries he indicated support for a national abortion ban after 15 or 16 weeks. And now that he’s outrun the pack to become the nominee, this week he said that abortion should not be a national issue. Let the states decide the rules by referendum or legislation.
Mike Pence called that statement “a slap in the face.”
Trump is transactional – not constrained by philosophy or conviction. And he knows that pro-life Republicans have no place else to go. They won’t vote for Joe Biden.
Someone should tell the House Republicans.
Currently, H.R. 431 – the Life at Conception Act – is pending in the House Judiciary Committee. As of April 10, 2024, 126 Republicans had signed on as co-sponsors. That includes Speaker Mike Johnson and seven of nine representatives from Tennessee: Tim Burchett, Andy Ogles, Mark Green, Diana Harshbarger, John Rose, Chuck Fleischmann and David Kustoff; not signing are Steve Cohen and Scott DesJarlais.
These folks have not thought this through. Estimates range from 400,000 to one million embryos are stored in laboratories’ freezers. All with rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness if H.R. 431 passes.
Somebody has suggested that Republicans are like the pup that chases a car. Now they’ve caught it. What to do? Somebody else said it’s not just that they’ve caught the car. The car has backed up and run over them. Stay tuned.
Sandra Clark is editor/CEO of Knox TN Today Inc.