Jason Smith: President Trump takes step to save lives by directing federal money away from abortion providers

(From Eighth District Congressman Jason Smith)

Protecting innocent life. Whether just conceived or on your death bed, innocent life is something we must never stop fighting to defend. In the last two weeks some of the biggest strides in the fight to protect life have taken place, thanks in large part to a President who values the need to protect those who can’t fight for themselves.

Announced on May 18, President Trump’s “Protect Life Rule” ensures that any federal family planning money (your tax dollars!) will be directed AWAY from centers which provide abortion services and instead diverted to pro-life maternal support facilities like the Rolla Pregnancy Resource Center, Birthright of Cape Girardeau, the Options for Women (Center for Life) in Ste. Genevieve and Perryville, and so many more important pro-life centers around Missouri. Cutting off federal dollars for facilities which provide abortion services has been a consistent and meaningful fight of mine, unfortunately our efforts were always stymied by a broken United States Senate, subject to rule of the minority with its filibuster tactics. The hardworking family first folks of Missouri don’t deserve to have their taxpayer dollars used to perform abortion services or support facilities which offer such options to expectant mothers. Cutting off federal funding for abortion providers was something started by President Reagan, upheld by the United States Supreme Court and is now finally being carried out by President Trump.

This week, President Trump also signed into law the “Right to Try Act”, legislation I supported in Congress which will give terminally ill patients the right to fight for life. Many terminally ill patients and their doctors know there are drugs and treatments for their diseases which may soon hit the market, but are still a few years away from final Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Unfortunately, in many instances those are precious years these patients don’t have. Bureaucratic red tape shouldn’t stand in their family’s way of doing everything they can to save their loved one. Every year over 1 million Americans die from terminal illnesses, the Right to Try Act will allow patients like these a chance to fight back and a new resource in their fight for life. Specifically the new law will allow terminally ill patients to access drugs which have undergone the FDA’s Phase I of safety testing, but are not yet through the final approval process. This is important new access to medicines which in many cases will save lives. Bureaucracy should never thwart innovation which can save lives.

Beyond the beginning and end of life, we have also taken important steps to protect innocent life from deadly Pediatric Cancers which rob children of their futures. Last week, Congress passed The Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access and Research Act. This important piece of legislation established grants to support Pediatric Cancer research aimed at getting a better understanding of cancers impacting children and the effects of different treatment on those cancers. With better information we can make sure these children are getting better care which will yield better life saving results.

While the first 18 months of President Trump have generated great economic and security successes such as the removal of over 1000 bureaucratic federal regulations, massive tax relief, greater border security and the decimation of the ISIS terrorist network, it is also important to not overlook the significant advances which have been made in the most important area of all, the fight for life. Formally implementing a ban on federal dollars to abortion service providers, appointing conservative pro-life judges like Neil Gorsuch, giving terminally ill patients access to medications which will save lives, and enhancing support for childhood cancer research are life changing victories for millions of Americans today and those not yet born. Our fight isn’t over, but with so many advancements I am excited for what the future holds in our battle for the right to life.