Press Release on the Joint Statement
The following press release about the Joint Statement on Building a Post-Roe Future was released on Friday, January 20, the day of the 50th annual March for Life. See press coverage from the release here.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pro-Life Activists, Authors, Scholars Declare: Abortion Bans Are Not Enough
Pressure to Abort Must Be Reduced by Bold Pro-Family Policies
Contact: Eric Scheidler, (773) 251-8792, ejs@prolifeaction.org
CHICAGO, JANUARY 20, 2023 — A large and diverse group of pro-life activists, authors, scholars, and other leaders have just issued a challenge to the pro-life movement in the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. In a “Joint Statement for Building a Post-Roe Future”—authored by Eric Scheidler, Josh Brahm, Charlie Camosy, and Jonathon Van Maren—these pro-life leaders are calling for bold, new policies that will go beyond abortion bans to reduce the social and economic pressures that push so many women into abortions they do not want.
The Joint Statement declares:
We are pro-life conservatives, moderates, and liberals united in our conviction that every human life has value—including the lives of both the unborn child and that child’s mother. We believe that our society should prioritize the needs of both, and that ultimately this can only be achieved by significant changes in public policy.
These policies include accessible and affordable healthcare, expanded child tax credits, paid parental leave, flexible work hours, affordable childcare, and expansion of prenatal child support laws.
The Joint Statement was inspired by a recognition that for most women, abortion is a last resort. “Despite decades of rhetoric about ‘choice,’ we know that most abortions are desperately unwanted; so often, women feel they have no choice but to get an abortion,” said Eric J. Scheidler, co-author and executive director of the Pro-Life Action League. “We’re inviting Americans of all political backgrounds to join with us in reducing the social and economic pressures that lead to so much unwanted abortion.”
The statement was published today, and can be read in full at PostRoeFuture.com, along with over two hundred signatures. “This astonishing list of names spans the entirety of our politically and ideologically diverse movement,” said co-author Charlie Camosy, Professor of Medical Humanities at the Creighton University School of Medicine and Curran Fellow of Moral Theology at St. Joseph Seminary. “That so many can explicitly find agreement on the principle of aggressively addressing the demand for abortion, and not just the supply, signals a new moment in the history of the pro-life movement.”
The authors and signers of the Joint Statement recognize that abortion restrictions, while crucial, are not enough. “In a post-Roe world, pro-life politicians have the opportunity to both protect pre-born children and to drive down the demand,” said co-author Jonathon Van Maren, conservative columnist and communications director at the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform. “Texas’ Alternatives to Abortion program is a good example. When abortion is very frequently cheaper than giving birth, we should move to reverse these incentives.”
In calling for government to promote the welfare of American families, the Joint Statement points the way to bipartisan efforts. “Given the increasing tribalism on both sides of the political aisle, it is vital for people of all stripes to come together on common sense policies that will support women and families, especially in states where elective abortion is no longer legally available,” said co-author Josh Brahm, pro-life apologist and president of the Equal Rights Institute. “States where abortion is illegal can use legislative power to show that the pro-life future is better than the pro-choice past.”
The Joint Statement for Building a Post-Roe Future can be found at PostRoeFuture.com, along with the complete list of co-signers. For additional information or to schedule an interview with any of the co-authors, contact Eric Scheidler, (773) 251-8792, ejs@prolifeaction.org.
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