The 3 - June 18, 2023

This week's edition of The 3, featuring three stories of relevance to the Christian community, features an announcement by over 25 pro-life groups and individuals calling for equal protection for the unborn in the nation. Also, there is concern over a bill that would have a chilling effect on parental rights in California, threatening to charge parents who do not affirm their child's gender transition with child abuse. And, there is a groundswell of opposition to a Defense Department policy that pays transportation expenses and time off for military members or their families who wish to have an abortion.

Pro-life organizations, U.S. Senator call for equal protection of unborn

A consortium of pro-life organizations has announced its dedication to seeking equal protection for unborn babies under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.  Live Action News published a piece, which led off by saying:

On Thursday, Live Action and a coalition of 26 pro-life groups and individuals published The New North Star Coalition Letter, posing a clear goal for the pro-life movement, post-Roe: ending abortion by ensuring the equal protection of preborn children.

Signatories range from presidents of pro-life and conservative non-profits to professors, doctors, and journalists. Among the groups are Students for Life of America, 40 Days for Life, Concerned Women for America, Human Coalition, and more.

Lila Rose, Founder and President of Live Action, is quoted in the article; stating that the overturning of Roe v. Wade was "an important pro-life victory," but stated: "...our fight to make abortion illegal and unthinkable while ensuring families have the support they need is far from over. This document is an uncompromising and robust description of guiding principles that lawmakers can look to as they craft policies that will save children from the brutal violence of abortion."

The article contends that, "...the personal protection afforded to every member of the human race under the Fourteenth Amendment should be extended equally to the preborn." and notes that the letter provides guidance for lawmakers to adopt certain policies, including: "enforcing fetal homicide, wrongful death, and child endangerment laws to ensure justice is obtained for families and their preborn babies; extending state and federal child tax credits to include preborn children; clarifying that embryos in cryopreservation are not legal property or quasi-property under state law; and passing robust prenatal child support laws to compel men to take responsibility for the children they father."

The preceding week, according to Live Action News: 

...Representative Doug Lamborn introduced House Resolution 464, the Recognizing Life Resolution, acknowledging that preborn children are legal and constitutional persons who are entitled to equal protection of the law, as guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. He called on Congress to enact proportional legislation.

California bill inhibiting parents' right regarding transgenderism advances

Meanwhile, a bill that would trample parental rights is continuing to make its way through the California legislature, clearing a key hurdle this past week. The Daily Signal reported that a state Senate committee voted 8-1 in favor of a bill that was amended the prior week that would "rewrite the California Family Code to list 'gender affirmation' alongside a child’s need for 'health, safety, and welfare.'”

As the article notes, the bill "would put parents who don’t affirm their child’s 'gender transition' in danger of child abuse charges."  Representative Scott Wilk, the only "no" vote on the committee had said in a hearing last Tuesday: 

In recent years, we have put government bureaucrats between parents, children, and doctors when it comes to medical care—and now we have [AB 957] where if a parent does not support the ideology of the government, [children are] going to be taken away from the home…

Wilk went as far as to tell parents to leave the state out of love for their children.

The Daily Signal noted: 

A wide range of residents testified against AB 957, far outnumbering supporting voices. While both sides presented two prepared witnesses, only 17 attending individuals voiced their support for the bill, and over 100 California residents testified against AB 957 (either in person or via phone calls broadcast to the Senate chamber).

Two parents brought forward harrowing testimonies about their experiences with raising children claiming to be transgender and voicing concerns over AB 957’s overreach.

The bill now goes on to the State Senate.  If it passes there, it will go to the State Assembly. Christian advocacy organization, Real Impact related about the bill:

By including a “parent’s affirmation of the child’s gender identity” in California’s definition of the “health, safety, and welfare” of a child, California law will villainize the parents who hold biblical views on gender. If AB 957 becomes law, in a custody dispute, the CA court will be legally required to deny custody to a parent that does not affirm the new gender identity.

Denying custody rights to a parent is cruel and hurts both the parent and the child by severing the most important relationship in that child’s life – a relationship that is essential to the health and well-being of the child. Dividing a family for the purpose of advancing radical gender-ideology is an incredible overreach of government power and will have devastating effects on families throughout California.

U.S. Senators stand against military promotion of abortion

Last Thursday, for the ninth time, a U.S. Senator has placed a hold on voting on military promotions, calling on the Department of Defense to follow the law. 1819 News reports that Sen. Tommy Tuberville...

...first placed the hold in February on over 200 DoD general and flag officer nominations over the department’s new policy of funding travel and paid time off for service members and their dependents seeking an elective abortion. He said he intends to keep his hold until “the Pentagon follows the law.”

Politico reported last week that Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa is seeking to pass legislation that would terminate the Pentagon's policy, and cited a Punchbowl News story. That story reported that Ernst and Tuberville "...talked on the Senate floor about her bill that would effectively reverse the Pentagon’s abortion policy."  The report says:

According to multiple people familiar with their conversation, Tuberville told Ernst that he won’t accept a deal in which her bill gets a vote as part of the annual defense authorization process in exchange for lifting his holds.

The Politico story notes that, "In an interview Wednesday morning, Tuberville said he would drop his holds if Ernst’s bill came up for a vote on its own and outside the process of any other bills. 'That would be good,' he said, reiterating his opposition to a vote on the measure as part of the NDAA." The NDAA refers to the National Defense Authorization Act, a package of military spending bills.

Military.com reports that: 

The Senate Armed Services Committee announced Wednesday that, before it debates its sweeping annual defense policy bill next week, it will also vote on a separate bill that would bar the Pentagon from providing leave and travel expenses to troops seeking abortions and other reproductive health care.

Tuberville says that vote would not be enough to make him back down.  Meanwhile, 1819 News reports that billboards have been placed near Alabama military bases, stating:

The billboards, sponsored by Washington, D.C. conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, were strategically placed in Huntsville, Montgomery and near Fort Rucker — all near military facilities. They sport the message: "Senator Tuberville, thank you for standing for life and against wokeness in the military."

The article also says that:

Heritage Foundation is also running a digital ad campaign encouraging Americans and military veterans to sign a letter supporting Tuberville.

"There is no truth more profound than the fact that all human life is sacred," the letter says. "The mission of the United States Military is to defend and protect all American lives—not subsidize the practice of destroying innocent and vulnerable American children via abortion with taxpayer dollars. By pledging to hold these nominations to the Department of Defense until administration officials reverse course, Senator Tuberville is doing a great service for the American people—including its service members."

The Washington Stand reported in May:

The Heritage Foundation announced the launch of a petition drive for the public to sign in the wake of a letter signed by over 3,000 veterans and active-duty servicemembers expressing support for Tuberville...

The article says:

The Heritage signature drive builds on Family Research Council’s petition drive, which garnered over 25,000 signatures in support of the senator’s pro-life stand. In addition, 23 pro-life leaders signed a letter in March indicating they are standing behind Tuberville.