(OSV News) — The national pro-life group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America said it intends to raise and spend $92 million in the 2024 election cycle, an increase from its $78 million midterm campaign for the 2022 election cycle.
Meanwhile, Senate leadership indicated the upper chamber will vote in February on a tentative deal to enact more strict policies for the U.S.-Mexico border, which may include policies that have been criticized by Catholic immigration advocates.
Pro-life group details 2024 plans
SBA Pro-Life America, along with its partner Women Speak Out PAC, said it also will knock on 4 million doors across eight battleground states including Arizona, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Montana and Georgia. They said they intend to focus on low turnout and persuadable voters “to win the presidency and a majority in Congress.”
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA, which works to elect pro-life candidates to public office, said in a statement, “Life is the human rights issue of our time and the pivotal issue in 2024 elections.”
“Pro-abortion Democrats have declared they are going all in on abortion on demand through all nine months, as their number one campaign issue,” Dannenfelser said. “Already, they’re spending unprecedented sums to mislead voters on their stance. Many Democrats now explicitly say they want to ‘Go Beyond Roe’ because it wasn’t enough.”
Dannenfelser said pro-life candidates should “go on offense” and communicate with “the ‘three C’s.'”
“They must be clear about their support against painful late-term abortions, they must have compassion for women facing unplanned pregnancies and they must contrast by exposing their opponents extreme stance of pushing unlimited taxpayer-funded abortions on demand,” she said. “This election cycle will be our largest ground game yet as we will focus on key battleground states to win a pro-life Senate and elect a National Defender of Life as president. We will take no voter for granted, whether they are pro-life and don’t vote consistently or can be persuaded to vote pro-life when they hear how radical the Democrats have become. We must not grow weary in our pursuit to serve mothers and save children.”
The group has not to date made an endorsement in the Republican presidential primary, but previously said it would support a candidate who supported a federal standard of a 15-week limit.
Senate to vote on border deal
While the text of the deal had not yet been released as of Feb. 1, it faces steep odds in Congress amid opposition from Republicans in the Senate and the House who are aligned with former President Donald Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination. Trump has argued passing the bill would aid Biden in the November election.
The tentative deal among the key negotiators — Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz. — reportedly would raise the threshold for making an asylum claim, among other measures.
Republican lawmakers had previously sought to tie strict new policies for the Southern border to an emergency spending bill to provide billions of dollars in security assistance to Ukraine and Israel amid their respective conflicts, as well as to Taiwan.
Biden attends dignified transfer for slain U.S. service members
Biden was at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware Feb. 2 to attend the dignified transfer of three American soldiers killed in Jordan in a drone strike that the U.S. has attributed to Iranian-backed militant groups.
The three reserve soldiers — Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46; Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24; and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23 — were all from Georgia. The two specialists were promoted to the rank of sergeant posthumously.
In remarks the previous day at the National Prayer Breakfast at the U.S. Capitol, Biden said, “They risked it all, and we’ll never forget the sacrifice and service to our country that the dozens of service members who were wounded in recovery now.”
In a video of Biden’s condolence call to Sanders’ parents, Shawn Sanders and Oneida Oliver-Sanders, Biden told them that “you’re in my prayers, in my heart,” adding that with their permission he wanted to join them for the return of the body.
“We would love for you to be there,” Oneida said, while Shawn added, “It would be an honor.”
Biden also told the couple their daughter was being posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant.
“Oh, wow. That is the best news I’ve heard today. Thank you so much. You don’t know how much that means to us,” Oneida said.
Congress recognizes Catholic Schools Week
The U.S. Catholic bishops applauded congressional resolutions honoring Catholic Schools Week Jan. 28-Feb. 3.
A Senate resolution introduced by Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Bob Casey, D-Pa., was recently passed by that chamber recognizing Catholic schools for “their academic excellence” and for providing “a broad, values-added education emphasizing the lifelong development of moral, intellectual, physical, and social values in young people in the United States.” Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., introduced a companion resolution in the House.
Bishop Thomas A. Daly of Spokane, Washington, said in a Feb. 2 statement that “Catholic schools serve diverse populations, believe that education is an integral formation in wisdom and virtue, and cultivate a love for all that is true, good, and beautiful.”
They are beacons of light in a time of confusion,” said Bishop Daly, who is chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Catholic Education. “It is gratifying to receive the recognition of the historic contributions of Catholic schools to the health and vitality of the republic, especially during Catholic Schools Week. It is also a testament to our Catholic school leaders and staff for their dedication to the Church’s mission.”
Rubio’s office said in a press release that “Catholic schools produce strong believers who foster strong communities.”
“They provide students with quality religious education that supports, rather than undermines, their deeply held values and honors parents’ central role in their children’s education,” his office said.
