They don't have a new president, but House Democrats are giving Americans a pretty good preview of what legislation will look like if they do. And if you care about taxpayer-funded abortion -- and three-quarters of the country does -- it's not pretty.
It was a dress rehearsal, but Thursday's mark-up on a package of foreign aid ought to be just the ticket any complacent conservative needs. In a sign of things to come if liberals retake the White House or Senate, Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) crew was hard at work chipping away at routine, pro-life protections. Republicans, including ranking member Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas), fought back hard, introducing amendment after amendment to stop U.S. dollars from flowing to overseas abortions under the ruse of "family planning." But in the end, it wasn't enough.
"I can't agree," Granger argued, "to reverse the important policies put forth by this administration to protect life." She was referring to one of the White House's first acts -- reinstating the Mexico City policy. And although 75 percent of the country (including 60 percent of "pro-choicers") support his decision, Democrats insist on ignoring the vast majority of American taxpayers and funneling money to controversial groups like UNFPA, who are not only a global megaphone for abortion but forced abortion and sterilization too. "There should be no higher priority," subcommittee chair Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) argued than these commonsense measures that protect the unborn."
"We fundamentally just disagree on this issue," Democrat Nita Lowey (D-Calif.) said. You bet we do, Congressman Andy Harris (R-Md.) made clear. When liberals tried to turn the tables on Republicans, arguing that they didn't care about women, Harris, a medical doctor, rose to speak. "This debate has been not about whether you support women. It's not about whether you support children. It's not about whether you support life -- although it is those children who are killed by abortion. It's not about family planning. It's not about contraception. It is about abortion. It's just that simple."
Elections have consequences, and unfortunately, they especially hurt in policy debates like this one -- where routine language on abortion is no longer common ground. And unfortunately, the country is only going to experience more of these moments if they elect a president who no longer thinks there's room for consensus on life.
Reinstating global abortion funding, it turns out, is the mild part of the Democratic party's vision. If, by some miracle, there were still Americans under the assumption that Joe Biden is a moderate, this week's Biden/Sanders platform reveal should have debunked that myth -- once and for all. The Biden-Sanders "unity" document is so extreme it makes Barack Obama look like Franklin Roosevelt. And the unborn are only some of the victims.
"The voters will have a clear choice," Ken Blackwell told Sarah Perry on "Washington Watch." "On the one hand, you have those who want to preserve [religious liberty] and who fundamentally understand that our human rights, are not grants from any government. They are gifts from God inherent in our human dignity. And on the other side, you have those folks who want to chase God and faith out of the public square." The Marxist ideology, he warned, "now frames -- not only the platform of the DNC and their nominee -- but it is, in fact, a part of the transformation of America today that they promise in all of their documents and mouthpieces."
Think about it, Sarah said, a socialist now has his name on the roadmap of the Democratic Party. A man who recently, she pointed out, just went on MSNBC to say, "Listen, if these are adopted, he'll be the most progressive presidential candidate in all time." A socialist calling Joe Biden progressive? Talk about Left of Left!
"This is 110 pages about combating the climate crisis and pursuing environmental justice, when there are parents like me," Sarah said, "who just want their kids to be educated. Who want to be able to practice their beliefs without government interference. Who want to be able to put food on the table." And what do Biden and Sanders want to do? Deconstruct the family. Erase history. Eliminate faith. "It's a very clear choice," Ken said. "This is not going to be a referendum on Donald Trump. This is going to be a choice election."
If you don't believe him, check out the Biden-Sanders plan and compare it to the Trump accomplishments. There are a lot of people in this country desperate to make this an election about personality. It isn't. It's about policy. And the contrast between the two parties and their policies is truly the starkest yet.
