The 3 - December 29, 2024

This week's edition of The 3, featuring three stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes news of a case the U.S. Supreme Court will be hearing dealing with states setting policy for funding abortion with taxpayer dollars. Also, a Virginia realtor faces punishment due to his faith-related posts on social media.  And, the U.S. Department of Education has announced it will no longer be pressing the issue of allowing males to compete in female sports. 

SCOTUS to hear case of state banning taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood

The governor of South Carolina issued an executive order, according to LifeNews.com, "directing the South Carolina Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) to deem abortion clinics unqualified to receive Medicaid funding." The article stated, "Planned Parenthood and an individual plaintiff immediately sued in federal court, challenging the state’s decision."

A federal district court and the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the state, sending the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, which agreed to hear it. 

Life News noted that this "is a critically important case that could have a dramatic impact on the ability of the states to stop the flow of taxpayer dollars to the nation’s largest abortion company."

Realtor receives reprimand for Christian social media posts

Wilson Fauber is a 70-year-old real estate agent who has been in the business for over 40 years.  He decided to run for City Council in his hometown of Staunton, Virginia last year, and according to The Christian Post:

Opponents of his campaign uncovered several social media posts from years earlier, including a 2015 post in which Fauber shared his Christian views on marriage, particularly in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s consideration of same-sex marriage. At the time, Fauber had posted a Bible-based perspective on the issue, sharing thoughts from the Rev. Franklin Graham and other Christian leaders.

For this, a complaint was registered with the Virginia Association of Realtors, claiming that Fauber had violated the National Association of Realtors Code of Ethics.  The article notes that the code...

...prohibits realtors from using "harassing speech, hate speech, epithets, or slurs" related to "race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity."

Fauber, who is also a minister, was found guilty of violating the code. The Post article goes on to say:

Fauber’s attorney, Michael Sylvester, said they are “obviously disappointed” by the decision and are “considering all legal options.”

“The way the NAR rule is being applied, the message is simple: Bible-believing Christian realtors must be silent,” Sylvester added.

A CBN article related that: 

When asked why he believes this is all coming out now in 2024, Fauber said, "Because the National Association of Realtors is woke. The leadership of the National Association of Realtors has made it very clear about their involvement in endorsing and approving of the LGBTQ community, and just recently, just a few weeks ago actually, in Charlottesville, Virginia, the National Association of Realtors provided funding for a Drag Queen Show." 

CBN.com reported that "If the guilty verdict stands, Fauber could face fines as high as $15,000 and possibly lose his license which would likely end his real estate career."

Administration abandons rule change to allow males to compete in female sports

Ever since the U.S. Department of Education announced its rule changes to Title IX, which was intended to provide more opportunities for females in areas of education, including athletics, there has been strong opposition to the action, which would redefine "sex" to include so-called "gender identity" and "sexual orientation."

The Daily Citizen ran a story recently that said:

On Friday, December 20, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education withdrew its proposed rule forcing schools to permit biological males into girls and women’s sports.

The DOE had released its proposed rule on April 13, 2023, seeking to force schools that receive federal funding to permit students “to participate on a male or female team consistent with their gender identity.”

During the rulemaking process, the Department received 150,000 comments on the proposed rule, each of which it was required to review prior to issuing any final rule. It was also required to respond to significant areas of public concern.

But due to the flood of public comments and concerns, the DOE never issued a final rule, instead opting to withdraw the proposed regulation.

Opposition to the Title IX changes was a key factor, according to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona who is quoted by the Daily Citizen; he said, “The Department recognizes that there are multiple pending lawsuits related to the application of Title IX in the context of gender identity, including lawsuits related to Title IX’s application to athletic eligibility criteria in a variety of factual contexts.” Cardona also stated, “In light of the comments received and those various pending court cases, the Department has determined not to regulate on this issue at this time..."

Alliance Defending Freedom noted on its website: "The Biden administration has attempted to insert gender ideology into Title IX by its general Title IX rule adopted earlier this year, the Biden administration has repeatedly told courts that Title IX alone requires schools to admit men into women’s sports, and activist groups across the country have filed numerous lawsuits to force females to compete against males."

The 3 - December 22, 2024

This week's edition of The 3, with three stories of relevance to the Christian community, features the story of a Live Nativity that, after restrictions had been lifted, a Live Nativity was depicted on the steps of the Capitol in Washington, D.C.  Also, a Georgia state law protecting unborn life once a heartbeat is detected is headed for the state Supreme Court after being struck down twice by a lower court judge. And, a Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin was the site of another school shooting carried out by a student there.

Good news for Christmas: Live Nativity allowed at U.S. Capitol

A legal battle has come to an end, and a demonstration of the Nativity was allowed on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington recently.

Patrick Mahoney of Christian Defense Coalition challenged a prohibition of such displays with a 2022 lawsuit, according to The Christian Post, which related:

The road to this historic moment was paved by Mahoney's 2022 federal lawsuit, which challenged the Capitol's restrictions on public demonstrations. Despite the federal government's resistance, Mahoney argued that the U.S. Capitol — a place symbolic of democracy and freedom — should be a space where all Americans can exercise their First Amendment rights, including the freedom to express religious beliefs.

The article goes on to say:

In May 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled in Mahoney's favor, declaring the Capitol steps to be a public forum where peaceful demonstrations could no longer be prohibited. This decision set a precedent that ensured the steps of the Capitol could be used for public expressions of religious faith, including the display of a Nativity scene.

"This is also a significant victory for religious freedom and the First Amendment," Mahoney said in a statement. "This event has ended and won the war on Christmas in the public square. For if Christmas can be celebrated and displayed in the most powerful public square in America, it can be celebrated publicly everywhere."

Georgia law to protect life in the womb after heartbeat detection facing legal challenge

In 2019, Georgia lawmakers passed a bill that would ban abortion for unborn babies once a heartbeat is detected. So, it was passed before Roe v. Wade was overturned, and on that basis, a Georgia Superior Court judge ruled against the law - and has done so twice now.  Liberty Counsel reported:

In October 2023, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney first ruled that Georgia’s 2019 LIFE Act was invalid because it was enacted under the binding precedent of Roe v. Wade, which had conferred a national right to abortion in the first trimester. Essentially, Judge McBurney determined an unconstitutional law can’t stand even if it becomes constitutional later. The Georgia Supreme Court quickly overruled Judge McBurney 6-1 citing that the U.S. Constitution has a “fixed meaning” and the 2022 Dobbs decision rescinded the “egregiously wrong” Roe decision and is now the controlling precedent.

So, the Supreme Court sent it back to McBurney, who ruled against the law another time; Liberty Counsel says that the judge ruled that the law "violates Due Process and Equal Protection rights by infringing on a person’s privacy and autonomy."  The state Attorney General has appealed the lower court judge's ruling. 

The Liberty Counsel website says that the law "continues to protect unborn babies with a 'detectable human heartbeat' due to Georgia’s High Court halting that judgment until it can make a ruling on the appeal.

Shooting at Christian school in Wisconsin brings concern, grief

Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin is the latest school that has been victimized by a shooter intent on inflicting harm.  CBN.com reported last week:

Police are trying to find out what drove 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow to bring a gun to the private Christian school and open fire during study hall. A teacher and fellow student were killed in the attack. Six others were injured, including two who have life-threatening injuries.

Authorities have been searching the shooter's home for a motive including possible bullying.

Chief Shon Barnes of the Madison Police Department is quoted as saying, "It appears the motive was a combination of factors," adding, "Again we cannot share that information at this time because we do not want to jeopardize the investigation."  The article goes on to say:

A report from the Washington Post cites a "troubled home life" with court records showing the parents married and divorced several times and that the girl had been enrolled in therapy.

A vigil was held at the Wisconsin State Capitol last Tuesday. The story related:

Gospel songs were sung as tears flowed from the eyes of those who attended the event.

For three years, one man has been taking crosses to communities that suffer gun violence in schools.

"God spoke to me to build a cross. I didn't know why," the unnamed man said. "We had a school shooting in Oxford, Michigan almost exactly three years ago at a high school. I took the cross to a vigil there and after that vigil I knew that the cross wasn't just for Michigan it was for everyone across the country. It's a message of healing and hope and love for one another."

The 3 - December 15, 2024

This week's edition of The 3, highlighting three stories of relevance to the Christian community, concentrates on a settlement that attorneys for three teachers made in a Virginia school district with authorities, exempting them from violating their consciences by using gender-identity "pronouns" and keeping that information from parents.  Also, it has been reported that the results of a federal study from almost a decade ago on gender treatments and procedures that presume to help young people struggling with gender identity were hidden because the results did not match the agenda of the lead researcher. And, Idaho's pro-life law, which went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court following a challenge by the federal government, which claimed that it violated federal law, was heard by a federal appeals court.

VA school district settles with teachers challenging gender-related policies

The school board in Harrisonburg, Virginia decided to place outrageous restrictions on teachers in the area of gender.  The Alliance Defending Freedom website says:

Previously, in a series of on-the-job trainings related to the school board’s nondiscrimination policy, the board directed teachers to “immediately implement” these practices: (1) to ask students’ “preferred” names and pronouns; (2) to always use them, even when contrary to a student’s sex; and, (3) to do so without notifying parents or seeking their consent. And the nondiscrimination policy threatened discipline—including termination—for noncompliance.

In 2022, three teachers filed a lawsuit challenging the policies, saying that they violated "the Virginia Constitution’s Free Speech Clause, the Virginia Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and other legal provisions by compelling them to speak a message to which they object."

Now, ADF, which represented the teachers, and the Harrisonburg City School Board have announced a settlement.  The website notes:

In the order resolving the case, the school board agreed that Deborah Figliola, Kristine Marsh, and Laura Nelson do not have to ask students to share their pronouns and the teachers need not necessarily use pronouns inconsistent with students’ biological sex. The school district also acknowledged that it “does not support hiding or withholding information from parents” and it will continue to inform staff that similar religious accommodations are available to employees.

So, while religious accommodations do exist, based on the terms of the settlement, it appears the school board will continue to require teachers, unless they take the steps to object on religious grounds, to participate in the use of gender identity pronouns without parental permission.

Doctor who commissioned study on gender treatments sandbags report because it did not support her claims

A study, funded by tax dollars, was commissioned almost a decade ago to study the issue of what is mislabeled as "gender-affirming care," which means the mistaken notion that certain treatments and surgical procedures can bring about a, well, "sex change."  It's an affront to God's created order and endangers the health of young people who have been duped to think this can actually occur. 

So, this doctor conducted a study. The Standing for Freedom Center at Liberty University published a piece recently tracing its history, stating that Dr. Johanna Olson-Kennedy, described as "one of the loudest proponents of so-called gender-affirming care," who leads the Center for Transyouth Health and Development at the Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles, "launched a 'multimillion-dollar federal project' to measure whether puberty blockers improved the “mental health” of transgender minors. Her 'hypothesis' was that blockers would ease depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. She enrolled 95 kids around age 11, handed them the drugs, and tracked them for two years."

This was 2015. Her findings, as of last Thursday, still have not been released.  The article says:

Because, as the New York Times put it, her “hypothesis does not seem to have borne out.” Olson-Kennedy has since buried the results, arguing that the data would be “weaponized” in today’s political debates.

Translation: “The science” didn’t back her preferred outcome, so she suppressed it, even though taxpayers have already coughed up nearly $10 million to bankroll this study through the National Institutes of Health.

Now Olson-Kennedy is facing pushback...for instance, 

Amy Tishelman, a clinical psychologist at Boston College, told The New York Times that while she understands concerns about the data being “weaponized,” it’s “really important to get the science out there.”

And, a patient of Olson-Kennedy, has filed a lawsuit on the basis of "medical negligence."

In retrospect, plenty of money could have been saved by adopting the findings of the Cass study out of the U.K., where this type of so-called "care" is being re-evaluated and reduced, according to the Standing for Freedom Center article, which notes:

The landmark Cass review, for example, concluded that the support for “gender-affirming care” is “remarkably weak.” Dr. Hilary Cass, the lead author, specifically rebuked the pediatric medical community for “misleading the public” and “doubling down” on shoddy research.

As the article points out, the Cass study was cited by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in the recent oral arguments concerning Tennessee's ban on these procedures and treatments for young people.   

Idaho pro-life law goes before federal appeals court

Idaho lawmakers passed the Defense of Life Act several years ago, which, according to LifeNews.com, protects the lives of women and their unborn children, preventing doctors from performing abortions unless necessary to save the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest.

 The article, published last week, states:

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments Tuesday in United States of America v. State of Idaho.

The Office of the Idaho Attorney General, with the assistance of attorneys from Alliance Defending Freedom, is urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit to stop the Biden administration from misusing federal law to override Idaho’s Defense of Life Act.

In 2022, the Biden administration challenged the law, and that challenge went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which sent it back down to a lower court for further litigation. The administration had maintained that the state could use EMTALA "...and pay private hospitals to violate Idaho’s protections for life. But as the attorneys explain, the federal government cannot pay private parties to circumvent state law."

The article points out that...

...no conflict exists between EMTALA and Idaho’s law as both seek to save lives. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court sent the case back to the 9th Circuit for further consideration. Idaho filed its opening brief in September and received broad support in favor of upholding its law.

“Taking EMTALA for what it actually says, there is no direct conflict with Idaho’s Defense of Life Act,” attorneys representing the Idaho Legislature wrote in court filings earlier this month.

The state said: "Nothing in EMTALA requires physicians to violate state law. And nothing in Idaho law — whether in EMTALA-covered circumstances or beyond — denies medical care to pregnant women..."

Regarding the Supreme Court's earlier non-decision, Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel is quoted as saying, “This order means that the case returns to the Ninth Circuit, which had ordered that the appeal of the preliminary injunction be decided by the full court on an expedited basis without any further briefing. The abortion ban currently remains in place in Idaho, except for those in emergency room situations.”

The 3 - December 8, 2024

This week's edition of The 3, with three stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes another step forward for an assisted suicide bill in the British Parliament.  Also, the attorney general of Missouri is squaring off against the nation's largest abortion provider regarding the provisions of a Constitutional Amendment that narrowly passed in November's election that establishes a "right" to abortion in the state.  And, there was another court victory recently regarding the legality of Good News Clubs in public schools in Hawaii.

Assisted suicide bill clears hurdle in British Parliament

A bill that would allow assisted suicide has passed a critical vote in Parliament in the U.K.  The BBC reported that:

The bill, introduced as a private members' bill by MP Kim Leadbeater, passed its second reading with a vote of 330 to 275. That doesn’t mean it will become law just yet. Instead, the legislation can now stand up to further interrogation and could undergo amendments.

Those against the bill have argued that it lacks safeguards. Others fear that it can be used as a coercive measure against people experiencing abuse. Proponents, on the other hand, believe it offers “common sense” and a compassionate death for people who are terminally ill.

The website also notes:

The bill will now go to committee stage, where a detailed examination will takes place. MPs can table possible amendments to the legislation during this stage.

It's set to face further scrutiny and will be taken to a vote in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, meaning any change in the law would not be agreed until 2025 at the earliest.

It will become law only if both the House of Commons and House of Lords agree on the final wording in the document.

On the Wednesday prior to the vote, WORLD Magazine stated:

Ecumenical organization Christian Concern on Monday published a statement condemning the bill and calling on lawmakers to vote against the measure. The organization plans to rally on Friday outside Parliament to protest the bill and to discuss the dangers of assisted suicide and euthanasia.

WORLD also related in that late November article: "The Catholic Bishops of England, Wales, and Scotland issued a statement earlier this month calling for better palliative care and more compassion for those who are dying, rather than assisted suicide."

That article described the provisions of the bill:

The measure would allow citizens over the age of 18 who live in England or Wales to end their lives with the help of a medical practitioner. Patients would be required to have the mental capacity to give informed consent, be expected to die within six months, and make two signed and witnessed declarations expressing their wish to die. Two doctors would also be required to evaluate the patient and say he or she is eligible, and a High Court judge would need to rule each time a person requests to end his or her life. The measure does not say which drug would be used to end the patient’s life.

Missouri abortion amendment not final word, AG says

Just over half of Missouri voters passed an amendment that reportedly establishes a "right" to abortion in the state's Constitution.  But the Attorney General and some lawmakers don't see it as an absolute guarantee of the availability of abortion in the state.

The Higher Ground Times, in an article released shortly before the scheduled resumption of abortions by Planned Parenthood in the state last week, reports:

The day after the Nov. 5 election, Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn two dozen laws described as “medically unnecessary restrictions targeted at abortion providers,” such as requiring that only doctors perform abortions and that they have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals.

The article referred to a hearing that was held last week, in which Planned Parenthood was asking for a temporary injunction to allow abortions to resume. 

The Attorney General, Andrew Bailey responded; the article says that he "acknowledged that Amendment 3 made five state laws barring abortion unenforceable, but said that the remaining statutes 'simply regulate abortion providers but do not prohibit abortion.'”

The article says: 

Amendment 3 squeaked by with 51.6% of the vote in the Nov. 5 election, making Missouri the first state with a ban on abortion except in emergencies to approve an abortion-rights amendment following the Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

Pro-life advocates held special events at five Planned Parenthood clinics last week; Higher Ground Times states:

The Life Coalition held five simultaneous press conferences Tuesday at Planned Parenthood locations in Missouri arguing that the lawsuit would “block safety laws currently protecting women in this state.”

“We call for all of these safety standards to stay intact,” said Brian Westbrook, executive director of Coalition Life, outside the Planned Parenthood affiliate in St. Louis.

“If they are overturned, we call on people of the state of Missouri and our legislature to reenact these safety standards to make sure that women do not go into a place like this and leave in an ambulance headed to the hospital,” he said.

The AG and Planned Parenthood squared off in court last week; Fox 4 in Kansas City said the judge heard "a motion in this case that addresses the defendants standing which will determine the validity of said defendants listed in this case, giving those entities until Saturday, Dec.14, to file a response to this suit."

Hawaii directed to allow Christian programs to operate in schools

Child Evangelism Fellowship has an outstanding program through which students are allowed to attend Christian programs in public schools - it's called Good News Clubs, and there was an issue recently in the state of Hawaii, where certain officials were attempting to block the CEF outreaches from meeting.

CBN.com reports:

Liberty Counsel, the Christian legal advocacy firm representing Child Evangelism Fellowship, announced in late November its client received a permanent statewide injunction, allowing the Good News Clubs — a weekly extracurricular gathering during which 5- to 12-year-old kids learn Bible lessons, recite memory verses, sing praise songs, and play games — to operate in every school district in Hawaii.

The article notes:

In January, Liberty Counsel filed a lawsuit against Aloha State education officials after four school districts on the islands blocked the Christian clubs from meeting on public campuses. In the legal complaint, attorneys argued that, by affording school access to secular groups while prohibiting faith-based meetings, district officials were violating the First and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

The CEF received a preliminary injunction over the summer, ordering the Hawaii Department of Education as well as the six elementary schools named in the complaint to allow — just like any other club — the Good News Clubs to meet on school property. Then, on Nov. 19, a broader permanent injunction ensured the clubs have the right to meet on any public school campus in Hawaii.

Liberty Counsel touts at its website that it has never lost a case concerning Good News Clubs.  The article at CBN.com states that the issue of the legality of these clubs to meet was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in a 2001 case, stating:

...in Good News Clubs v. Milford Central School, the justices ruled 6-3 the school violated the First Amendment rights of Good News Club participants by preventing after-school meetings on campus.

The 3 - December 1, 2024

This week's edition of The 3, with three stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes an Alabama library's attempt to run afoul of new state standards by allowing objectionable books to remain in a section of the library making them more accessible to children.  Also, the State of Tennessee is preparing to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court this week regarding the legality of legislation banning dangerous treatments and surgeries for minors wishing to change their gender.  Plus, the new Department of Government Efficiency is considering ending taxpayer funding of abortion through Planned Parenthood.

Alabama library alters rules on removing certain objectionable books

The Alabama Public Library Service has set parameters for its affiliates governing the placement of material within the library, taking precautions to prevent material that would be inappropriate for children from being readily available to them.

1819 News reported recently: 

Libraries must create policies to govern juvenile sections and protect youth from sexually explicit or inappropriate material. Libraries must have written guidelines to ensure minors do not come into contact with obscene materials and there must be library cards for minors under the age of 18 that require parental approval before checkout.

But, according to the article, in Fairhope, Alabama, there has been an attempt to bend the rules; it states:

Clean Up Alabama claims Fairhope Library director Tamara Dean has “rejected repeated requests to remove materials from the children’s sections of the library that contain disturbing content — such as sexual assault, drug abuse, pedophilia, child trafficking, and graphic depictions of gender transitioning.”

The article noted:

Fairhope Library Board of Trustees chairman Anne Johnson claimed the board created new rules to comply, but she said they tried to “loosen the language” so the rules weren’t so restrictive.

1819 News goes on to say:

An example of a book available in the library’s children’s section is “Parts and Hearts” by Jensen Hillenbrand. The book explains to children how “transitioning” with medication and surgery can make people healthier.

The book was challenged and remains in the juvenile non-fiction section of the library. Dean wrote in response to the challenge that the book is meant to educate on a sensitive topic and she said the book is exempt by the APLS board for educational purposes.

Really?  APLS Board Chair John Wahl said he is not aware that the book is exempt.  A Clean Up Alabama e-mail sent out recently said:

In their justification, the Fairhope library asserts that the APLS board granted the exemption of educational materials. Even if the dubious claim of Parts and Hearts being educational were true, no such exemption exists in the current APLS guidelines. The exemption in the code is ONLY for religious, history, anatomy and biology texts. These books fall outside of those categories.

That e-mail also states that Fairhope library Board chair Johnson "also claims that the book Grown, which graphically depicts abuse and sexual assault, is 'entirely appropriate' for minors."

Tennessee law banning transgender treatments and surgeries to be argued December 4

This Wednesday is a key date for not only Tennessee, but perhaps other states, as well, such as Alabama, which have passed laws to protect children from gender change therapies and surgeries.  The Tennessee Lookout website has noted:

The Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments for Dec. 4 in the case challenging Tennessee’s law banning gender-affirming care for minors brought by three young people and their families.

The state law — which took effect on July 1 of last year — bars Tennessee doctors and nurses from providing medical care — including puberty blockers, hormones and surgeries — to transgender people under 18.

The article relates this information:

A federal court in Tennessee initially blocked the law in April. But, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals overruled that decision last year, allowing the law to go into effect while the Biden Administration appealed.

Alliance Defending Freedom filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case. ADF Senior Counsel and Vice President of Appellate Advocacy John Bursch is quoted on the ADF website as saying:

“Relying on bad science, activists and the Biden-Harris administration have pushed these harmful medical procedures across the country and even taken steps to prevent state legislatures from regulating these procedures. These procedures have devastated countless lives, which is why countries that were previously leaders in so-called ‘gender affirming’ care are reversing course and curtailing these experimental efforts to permanently alter children’s bodies. We urge the Supreme Court to affirm the lower court’s ruling that Tennessee is free to implement laws that follow the best science available in protecting vulnerable children from high-risk medical procedures.”

DOGE proposes to defund Planned Parenthood and other progressive organizations that receive taxpayer funding

For years, pro-life organizations have been critical of the federal government's role in proliferating abortion by funding the nation's largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood.  On the Friday before Thanksgiving, I featured part 1 of a two-part conversation with Seth Gruber, who has chronicled the life and philosophy of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger.  More of that conversation is coming up on the Tuesday edition of The Meeting House on Faith Radio. 

Now, it seems like the Department of Government Efficiency may be looking into taxpayer funding of abortion. The Washington Stand reported recently that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy "...outlined their vision for the forthcoming Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal..., specifically underscoring plans to enact a host of policies long supported by pro-life advocates and government efficiency experts alike."  They wrote:

“DOGE will help end federal overspending by taking aim at the $500 billion plus in annual federal expenditures that are unauthorized by Congress or being used in ways that Congress never intended, from $535 million a year to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and $1.5 billion for grants to international organizations to nearly $300 million to progressive groups like Planned Parenthood...

The article notes: "Planned Parenthood received $699.3 million in taxpayer funding...and carried out 392,712 abortions in its 2022-2023 fiscal year, according to its most recent annual report.

Mary Szoch, director of the Center for Human Dignity at Family Research Council, said: “It was beautiful to see that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have recognized that using American taxpayer dollars to fund the killing of unborn children is a complete waste of money. It is inefficient on so many levels — including that it robs Americans of future generations of children. I look forward to seeing the other areas DOGE recognizes as a waste of taxpayer dollars; this first announcement signaled that rebuilding a culture of life is part of taking back America.”

Tony Perkins, FRC President, highlighted several areas of what he called "good news." These include, according to the article:

• Defund Planned Parenthood.
• Defund international [organizations] at odds with our interests.
• Defund PBS/NPR.
• Mass rescissions of unconstitutional regulations that exceed the authority of the Executive branch.
• Return the federal workforce to the office five days a week, which “would result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome.”

Kristan Hawkins, President of Students for Life of America (SFLA), posted on social media:“Taxpayers should not be forced to fund abortion. If President Trump’s goal is to end federal involvement in abortion, we must start by defunding & debarring Planned Parenthood.”