Four years after the Dobbs decision, the pro-life movement faces a sobering crossroads. The end of Roe v. Wade was a historic victory, yet abortion remains the leading cause of death in the United States, denying the most vulnerable their basic right to life.
The Dobbs ruling empowered state and local governments to pass laws protecting unborn children. Half of the states have enacted pro-life measures since 2022, but abortions have increased. A “states-only” strategy has failed: it abandons unborn children in blue states to a system that once treated fundamental human rights as local issues.
As America marks its 250th anniversary, the pro-life movement and Republican Party must move beyond half-measures. They should embrace national leadership for the right to life. A national minimum standard—such as protection based on a baby’s detectable heartbeat or the point at which pain can be felt—would establish a floor for the entire country while allowing states to implement stronger measures.
The Democratic Party has made abortion with no limits its de facto position. However, public opinion does not support this: only 10% of voters back abortion until birth. Fifteen states permit abortions at any stage of pregnancy, including the seventh through ninth months. The United States is one of eight countries that allow all-trimester abortions, a list that includes China and Vietnam.
Second- and third-trimester abortions occur in blue states. Babies who can feel pain and survive outside the womb are being terminated. In Washington, D.C., five full-term babies were found in medical waste containers outside the Washington Surgi-Clinic abortion facility—they are now known as the D.C. Five. Several abortion facilities openly advertise third-trimester procedures, including the DuPont Clinic in Washington, D.C., RISE Collective in Colorado, Partners in Abortion Care in Maryland, and Hope Clinic in Illinois.
Planned Parenthood also performs late-term abortions, with documented cases of women dying alongside unborn children. In Colorado last year, an 18-year-old girl died following a late-term abortion at a Planned Parenthood facility. Her family reported that the clinic did not immediately call for emergency medical assistance and specifically requested no sirens during transport.
The Democratic strategy is clear: if Democrats gain control of Congress, they will advance the Women’s Health Protection Act. This legislation would block states from enforcing pro-life laws and make abortion available at any time in all 50 states. Nearly all elected Democrats have voted for this bill, with party leaders pledging to eliminate the filibuster.
A “states-only” approach cannot stop this trend. History shows that no major human rights advancement in America has been achieved through such a strategy. The Republican Party must commit to national pro-life action.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America has committed $160 million for 2026 and 2028 to elect candidates who will advance pro-life policies nationally.
With 1.1 million Americans losing their lives to abortion annually, this is the moment to confront the greatest human rights violation of our time. We must extend equal protection and the right to life to all Americans, in every state.
