Protecting Family Values
I believe my values are shared with most Mississippians. As a Southern Baptist, I am a strong supporter of Christian family values. I do not support gay marriage and believe in the traditional definition of marriage.
Wicker Leads 94 Pro-Life Legislators in Call to End Taxpayer-Funded Embryonic Stem Cell Research
September 4, 2020
WASHINGTON – Today U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., along with U.S. Representative Andy Harris, M.D., R-Md., led a group of 94 legislators from both chambers of Congress to thank President Donald J. Trump for his efforts to support pro-life policies and request that he end taxpayer funding for human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
“Thank you for your bold efforts to protect the sanctity of human life… We write today to urge you to issue an Executive Order to end taxpayer funding of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research and to redirect these scarce federal research dollars toward alternatives that make a real difference for patients,” the legislators wrote.
Since 2017, the NIH has approved 106 new hESC lines, which brought the total number of approved hESC lines to 484. These lines are derived from live human embryos, which are destroyed when the lines are created. Funding for embryonic research at NIH has averaged between $250 and $300 million dollars over the past three years and yielded no “proof of a single patient’s life being saved through embryonic stem cell treatments.”
The expenditures for hESC research are inconsistent with longstanding federal law protecting human embryos. Wicker is co-author of the Dickey-Wicker Amendment, first adopted in 1996, that prohibits federal funds from being used to support “research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death greater than that allowed for research on fetuses in utero.”
“Human embryos are young human beings, and human life should never be expended as a mere means of benefiting another. We urge you to bring an end to NIH’s unethical and ineffective hESC research efforts and support research that will respect the sanctity of human life and deliver real benefits for patients,” the legislators concluded.
Joining Wicker and Harris in signing the letter are U.S. Senators Steve Daines, R-Mont., Mike Enzi, R-Wyo, Mike Rounds, R-S.D., Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., Mike Braun, R-Ind., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, John Thune, R-S.D., James Lankford, R-Okla., Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., James Risch, R-Idaho, Jerry Moran, R-Kan., Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and John Boozman, R-Ark., and U.S. Representatives Christopher H. Smith, R-N.J., Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Jim Banks, R-Ind., Ralph Norman, R-S.C., Doug Collins, R-Ga., Steve Scalise, R-La., Trent Kelly, R-Miss., Randy K. Weber, R-Texas, Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., Bill Flores, R-Texas, Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., Michael Guest, R-Miss., Roger Marshall, M.D., R-Kansas, Pete Olson, R-Texas, Brian Babin, D.D.S., R-Texas, W. Gregory Steube, R-Fla., David P. Roe, M.D., R-Tenn., Jodey C. Arrington, R-Texas, Carol D. Miller, R-W.Va., Gus M. Bilirakis, R-Fla., Greg Gianforte, R-Mont., David Kustoff, R-Tenn., H. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., Ralph Abraham, M.D., R-La., Michael Waltz, R-Fla., Jody B. Hice, R-Ga., Rick W. Allen, R-Ga., Tom Emmer, R-Minn., Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Glenn Grothman, R-Wisc., John Joyce, M.D., R-Pa., Ted Budd, R-N.C., Michael C. Burgess, M.D., R-Texas, Larry Bucshon, M.D., R-Ind., Mo Brooks, R-Ala., John Shimkus, R-Ill., Alex X. Mooney, R-W.Va., Rick Crawford, R-Ark., Kevin Hern, R-Okla., Ross Spano, R-Fla., Gregory F. Murphy, M.D, R-N.C., Steve King, R-Iowa, Robert B. Alderholt, R-Ala., Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., Bill Posey, R-Fla., Neal P. Dunn, M.D., R-Fla., Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, K. Michael Conaway, R-Texas, Ben Cline, R-Va., Jim Hagedorn, R-Minn., Robert E. Latta, R-Ohio, John H. Rutherford, R-Fla., Mike Bost, R-Ill., Greg Pence, R-Ind., Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., Mike Kelly, R-Pa., Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, Tim Walberg, R-Mich., Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo., Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Fred Keller, R-Pa., Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., Ron Wright, R-Texas, Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, Michael Cloud, R-Texas, David Rouzer, R-N.C., Steven M. Palazzo, R-Miss., and Bill Johnson, R-Ohio.
See the full text of the letter here and below:
Dear Mr. President,
Thank you for your bold efforts to protect the sanctity of human life. We sincerely appreciate your letter to Speaker Pelosi promising to veto any spending bill that would undermine current federal pro-life policies, including those that protect taxpayer dollars from funding “embryo-destructive research.” We are also particularly grateful for your efforts to protect life in federally funded research by limiting the use of fetal tissue obtained from unborn children killed by abortion. We write today to urge you to issue an Executive Order to end taxpayer funding of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research and to redirect these scarce federal research dollars toward alternatives that make a real difference for patients.
We are dismayed that in spite of the strong pro-life stance of your Administration, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has not only continued but accelerated the Obama-era policy of funding research that involves the destruction of young human embryos. In fact, since you took office in 2017, NIH has approved 106 new hESC lines at the expense of taxpayers, including the 70 new lines approved by NIH Director Francis Collins on May 29, 2020, which brought the total number of approved hESC lines to 484. The Administration has spent between $250 to $300 million taxpayer dollars each year on this life-destroying research, surpassing the Obama Administration by tens of millions of dollars. NIH estimates that it will spend another $321 million on hESC research in Fiscal Year 2020. These expenditures incentivize the continued destruction of human life and leave a moral blot on the NIH. We believe pro-life Americans would be deeply troubled to learn of the extent of NIH’s practices and ongoing plans.
These expenditures for hESC research are not only unethical, but also inconsistent with longstanding law protecting human embryos. The Dickey-Wicker Amendment, first adopted in 1996, prohibits federal funds from being used to support “research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death greater than that allowed for research on fetuses in utero” (sec. 508 of Division A of Public Law 116-94, December 20, 2019). This longstanding amendment has been included in annual appropriations for nearly 25 years. NIH has employed fallacious reasoning in attempts to skirt these protections, but its expenditures remain inconsistent with federal law.
It is noteworthy that the destruction of human embryos has not yielded the miraculous benefits that advocates promised two decades ago. After more than $2 billion in federal taxpayer funding — and much more than that in state funding — there has yet to be proof of a single patient’s life being saved through embryonic stem cell treatments. At the same time, adult stem cells have treated more than one and a half million patients, and recent scientific advances promise even more benefits from the use of adult stem cells. It is therefore in the interest of all taxpayers to redirect federal monies away from hESC research and toward efforts that bring real benefits to patients.
For these reasons, we urge you to issue an Executive Order to end taxpayer funding for hESC research and revoke former President Barack Obama’s Executive Order 13505 of March 9, 2009, which removed limitations on such funding. Ending federal support for hESC research would not reduce NIH’s lifesaving research by one dollar, but would instead free up scarce resources for NIH to put toward promising research on adult and induced pluripotent stem cells.
Human embryos are young human beings, and human life should never be expended as a mere means of benefiting another. We urge you to bring an end to NIH’s unethical and ineffective hESC research efforts and support research that will respect the sanctity of human life and deliver real benefits for patients.
Sincerely,
CC: The Honorable Alex Azar
Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Wicker Welcomes Confirmation of Mississippi Judge Cory Wilson
Wilson Is 200th Federal Judge Confirmed Under President Trump
June 29, 2020
Mississippians can take pride in an important moment in the Senate this past week. Judge Cory Wilson of Madison was confirmed to serve a lifetime appointment on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which includes Mississippi. The Senate’s vote made him the 200th judge to be confirmed since President Donald Trump took office. I encouraged President Trump to nominate Wilson earlier this year and welcome his confirmation.
Judge Wilson, a Moss Point native and Ole Miss graduate, will join the growing number of conservative-minded judges serving on federal appeals courts. These are the highest courts in our nation under the Supreme Court, and they decide major cases on matters affecting all Americans, including life, health care, and religious liberty. Judge Wilson’s voice will be an important addition. He has earned a reputation in Mississippi as a fair and impartial judge committed to the Constitution and the rule of law. I believe he will make his mark on the judiciary in the years to come.
No Vacancy Left Behind
A major factor in President Trump’s election victory was his promise of appointing solid, conservative judges to the federal judiciary. Since he took office, the Senate has made historic progress in confirming his nominees, vowing to leave no vacancy behind. We have approved the most federal judges at this point in a presidency since Jimmy Carter was in office. We have shifted three federal appeals courts to being majority conservative and have boosted conservative majorities on five others. And we are close to turning the Ninth Circuit, long considered the most liberal court.
All told, we have confirmed 53 court of appeals judges, 143 district judges, two international trade judges, and two Supreme Court justices. This does not mean every court decision is perfect, but there is no getting around the fact that the courts have been transformed in the last three years.
Judge Wilson filled the last remaining appeals court vacancy, but there are other federal district court openings – including two in the Southern District of Mississippi. To fill these posts, President Trump has nominated Kristi Johnson of Brandon, our state’s Solicitor General, and Taylor McNeel, a prominent attorney from the Coast. I am working to see these excellent nominees confirmed swiftly.
Guarding Our Liberties
Republicans have placed a high priority on judges because of the critical role they play in preserving our freedoms. In Federalist No. 78, Alexander Hamilton called the judiciary the “bulwark of a limited Constitution” and a “servant” of the people. Hamilton recognized that a judge’s role is to make sure the federal government does not go beyond its limited powers. The Founders also understood that judges should be independent of both Congress and the President. For this reason, federal judges have lifetime tenure and can be removed only by impeachment.
Hamilton noted that judges exercise “neither force nor will, but merely judgment.” Unfortunately, many judges have misused their authority by making policy from the bench, rather than applying the law. This practice has undercut the democratic process and led to rulings that endanger our rights under the Constitution. I am dedicated to supporting judicial nominees who will protect our Constitution and apply the law in an evenhanded manner.
In a few months, President Trump will release his updated list of potential picks for the Supreme Court, just as he did four years ago. I applaud the President’s transparency and look forward to reviewing these candidates. In the meantime, I will continue working to put conservatives on the federal bench who will protect our Constitution for generations to come.
Wicker, Colleagues Request Investigation Into Planned Parenthood Receiving $80 Million in PPP Loans
Abortion Provider Should Not Have Received Emergency Relief Funds
May 22, 2020
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today joined 33 senators and 94 members of the House of Representatives in requesting that Jovita Carranza, Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA), conduct a full investigation into how 37 Planned Parenthood affiliates received a total of $80 million in loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in clear violation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Employment Security (CARES) Act and SBA rules. The letter is also addressed to the Department of Justice.
“It has come to our attention that affiliates of Planned Parenthood improperly applied for, and received loans, through the program,” the senators wrote. “While we appreciate the Small Business Administration’s (“SBA”) efforts to promptly cancel those loans, the circumstances under which they were made merit further investigation of possible wrongdoing.”
“We urge that the SBA promptly open an investigation into how these loans were made in clear violation of the applicable affiliation rules and if Planned Parenthood, relevant lenders, or staff at the SBA knowingly violated the law, and that appropriate legal action be taken if so.”
The CARES Act made available PPP loans for nonprofits with fewer than 500 employees per SBA affiliation rules. Planned Parenthood as a centrally controlled nonprofit has about 16,000 employees and holds nearly $2 billion in assets.
Joining Wicker in signing the letter were Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Senators Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Steve Daines, R-Mont., Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., John Barrasso, R-Wyo., James Risch, R-Idaho, Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., Mike Braun, R-Ind., John Hoeven, R-N.D., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Pat Toomey, R-Penn., Deb Fishcer, R-Neb., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Bill Cassidy, R-La., Rick Scott, R-Fla., Tim Scott, R-S.C., Mike Rounds, R-S.D., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, John Cornyn, R-Texas, James Lankford, R-Okla., Mike Lee, R-Utah, John Boozman, R-Ark., Ben Sasse, R-Neb., John Thune, R-S.D., Todd Young, R-Ind., Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Jim Inhofe, R-Okla.
The full text of the letter is below.
Dear Administrator Carranza:
We write to request the full investigation of how affiliates of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (“Planned Parenthood”), a national organization with central control over its affiliates and which has nearly $2 billion in assets, were able to obtain loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (“the program”), and the appropriate enforcement of federal law based upon the findings of such an investigation.
It has come to our attention that affiliates of Planned Parenthood improperly applied for, and received loans, through the program. While we appreciate the Small Business Administration’s (“SBA”) efforts to promptly cancel those loans, the circumstances under which they were made merit further investigation of possible wrongdoing. Section 7(a)(36)(D)(vi) of the Small Business Act, as added by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act (P.L. 116-36), established that affiliation rules apply to nonprofits for the purpose of determining whether a nonprofit has 500 or fewer employees. Planned Parenthood’s aggregate employee size is about 16,000 employees nationwide.
As you know, SBA affiliation rules generally consider entities to be affiliated “when one controls or has the power to control the other, or a third party or parties controls or has the power to control both.” Among the factors the SBA considers for determining control is whether the entities are under common management, involving the exercise of “critical influence or the ability to exercise substantive control over a concern's operations.” Planned Parenthood refers to its affiliates as “local offices” despite being separately incorporated. Planned Parenthood’s bylaws describe an affiliate structure in which its management can uniformly and unilaterally impose policies and practices on its affiliates. By its governance and practice, Planned Parenthood operates as an affiliated group.
The public record is similarly clear. On March 25, shortly after the passage of the CARES Act, Planned Parenthood’s lobbying arm, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, issued a statement arguing that the bill, “gives the Small Business Administration broad discretion to exclude Planned Parenthood affiliates… and deny them benefits under the new small business loan program.” For the reasons listed above, the administration has already made the decision to make such an exclusion.
Under these circumstances, the application for and receipt of loans through the program suggests unlawful conduct. The CARES Act establishes that borrowers have liability for the wrongful application for a loan through the program. The Borrower Application Form requires that the applicant answer whether they “have common management with… any other business” and, if so, requires that they “list all such businesses and describe the relationship.” The Form also requires that the applicant “certify that the information provided in this application and the information provided in all supporting documents and forms is true and accurate in all material respects.” The application for a loan through the program would have required a Planned Parenthood affiliate to list the national organization as an affiliate organization.
Furthermore, the SBA and Department of the Treasury have indicated that they will review the applications of borrowers receiving loans through the program of an amount equal to $2 million or more for the accuracy of the borrower’s attestations of affiliation and whether “[c]urrent economic uncertainty makes this loan request necessary to support the ongoing operations of the Applicant.” Public reporting indicates that at least one Planned Parenthood affiliate, Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Countries, California, received a loan in excess of this amount. The review of this chapter’s certification of need should take into account its affiliation with a national organization that has nearly $2 billion in assets.
These circumstances require a full investigation in order to determine whether there was wrongdoing, and we urge that any such misconduct be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We urge that the SBA promptly open an investigation into how these loans were made in clear violation of the applicable affiliation rules and if Planned Parenthood, relevant lenders, or staff at the SBA knowingly violated the law, and that appropriate legal action be taken if so.
Sincerely,
Wicker, Hyde-Smith Recommend Confirmation of Cory Wilson to Serve on Fifth Circuit
Senate Committee Considers Nomination of Mississippian Selected by Trump for Federal Bench
May 20, 2020
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., today offered strong recommendations for Mississippi Court of Appeals Judge Cory T. Wilson to be a U.S. Circuit Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Wicker and Hyde-Smith introduced Wilson at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to consider his nomination. President Trump selected Wilson for the Fifth Circuit in March.
“Judge Wilson’s credentials, intellect, and respect for the rule of law are well-established,” Wicker said. “Given his professional and academic achievements and his strong reputation in Mississippi as a fair and impartial judge and a good and decent man, I am confident that Judge Wilson will serve the Fifth Circuit and our nation well as a circuit judge.”
“I can assure you that Judge Wilson has a well-rounded career that includes experience working in executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. Over the years, he has gained extensive and diverse litigation experience, and is certainly well qualified for the position and well respected by his colleagues,” Hyde-Smith told the committee. “Senator Wicker and I are proud to support Judge Wilson’s nomination and urge the Judiciary Committee to approve his nomination expeditiously.”
If confirmed, Wilson would assume the seat vacated by E. Grady Jolly, who took senior status in 2017.
Wilson, a native of Moss Point, recently received the highest rating of “well qualified” from the American Bar Association to serve on the Fifth Circuit.
Wilson earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Mississippi and law degree from Yale Law School, where he served on the Yale Law Journal. He served as a law clerk to Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal Judge Emmett Ripley Cox, in addition to being a White House Fellow in the U.S. Department of Defense.
Prior to his appointment to the Mississippi Court of Appeals, Wilson served in the Mississippi House of Representatives and held senior positions within the offices of the Mississippi State Treasurer and Mississippi Secretary of State. Wilson is also a former adjunct professor at Mississippi College School of Law.
Wicker, Senators Urge Trump to Keep Pro-Life Protections for Coronavirus Research
Use of Fetal Tissue Would be Unethical and Counterproductive
April 14, 2020
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today wrote President Donald J. Trump to ask the Administration to maintain pro-life protections during the search for treatments and cures for COVID-19. Wicker’s letter, which was signed by 35 senators, refutes a request by 15 pro-abortion state attorneys general requesting waivers to prohibitions on the use of fetal tissue for coronavirus research.
“These attempts to exploit the current crisis faced by our nation undermine your leadership and the promising research that is already underway,” the senators wrote. “In reality, holding the line ethically gives us the ability to put resources toward better science that is already showing promise against the coronavirus. Therefore, we urge you to stand strong in rejecting these appeals for taxpayer dollars to be used for the practice of using aborted babies in experiments.”
Wicker’s letter was co-signed by U.S. Senators John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., John Boozman, R-Ark., Mike Braun, R-Ind., Bill Cassidy, R-La., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Steve Daines, R-Mont., Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Deb Fischer, R-Neb., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Josh Hawley, R-Mo., John Hoeven, R-N.D., Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., James Inhofe, R-Okla., John Kennedy, R-La., James Lankford, R-Okla., Mike Lee, R-Utah, Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Jerry Moran, R-Kan., Rob Portman, R-Ohio, James Risch, R-Idaho, Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Mike Rounds, R-S.D., Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Ben Sasse, R-Neb., Rick Scott, R-Fla., Tim Scott, R-S.C., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Todd Young, R-Ind.
Click here for a PDF copy of the letter, the full text of which is available below:
Dear Mr. President:
We thank you for your bold and consistent efforts to defend the sanctity of all human life, including our youngest and most vulnerable. Your Administration’s decisive actions to protect human life and human dignity on every front have brought great hope to our nation. In particular, we thank you for last year’s decision to stop taxpayer funding in federal laboratories of the horrific practice of using aborted baby body parts for experiments.
As you know, there are critics who have complained against your decision to ban funding of aborted fetal tissue research. Some of these same critics are now attempting to exploit the current COVID-19 crisis, claiming that the ban on aborted fetal tissue is limiting research for cures to the virus. These claims are not true. The facts show that aborted fetal tissue from ongoing abortions has never been used in the production of a single vaccine, and most vaccines today use more efficient, modern cell lines and production techniques. Notably, the few attempted transplants of aborted fetal tissue have made most patients worse, not better. Moreover, it is unknown whether mice with a human immune system and lungs made from aborted fetal tissue can even be used successfully to test treatments against the coronavirus. Such unethical practices are unnecessary, especially given that a number of proven, ethically produced mouse experimental models already exist. Indeed, many experts agree that this antiquated practice of using aborted baby organs and tissue in experiments has been surpassed by modern, ethical technologies.
These attempts to exploit the current crisis faced by our nation undermine your leadership and the promising research that is already underway. In reality, holding the line ethically gives us the ability to put resources toward better science that is already showing promise against the coronavirus.
Therefore, we urge you to stand strong in rejecting these appeals for taxpayer dollars to be used for the practice of using aborted babies in experiments. Your decision to stop funding for this research and to redirect funds toward ethical, successful alternatives should be maintained.
Wicker Stands for Dignity of Human Life
Senate Republicans Defend Basic Rights of the Unborn
March 2, 2020
From the beginning of my time in public office, I have worked to advance policies to defend innocent human life. Recently I joined with Senate colleagues to continue that effort. We considered two bills that would establish basic protections for children, born and unborn. Unfortunately Senate Democrats blocked both bills.
Senate Republicans Support Basic Life Protections
One of the bills we considered was the Pain Capable Unborn Child Act, which would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. This bill is based on scientific evidence that unborn babies at this stage can feel pain – meaning abortion is excruciating for them before it ends their life.
The second bill, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, would require doctors to provide care to babies who have survived an abortion attempt. In other words, it would prohibit these babies from being killed outside the womb or left to die. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 143 babies survived abortion attempts between 2003 and 2014 – and many more such cases may have gone unreported.
The need for this bill became clear last year when Ralph Northam, the governor of Virginia, suggested that an unwanted newborn baby should be “kept comfortable” while the mother and doctor determine its fate.
I am disappointed these measures were unable to advance. But I remain committed to standing with all Americans and Mississippians who believe we have a duty to protect the most innocent and vulnerable among us.
Despite the partisan divide in Washington, Americans support these measures by wide margins. A survey taken last year by the Susan B. Anthony List revealed that 77 percent of American voters support protecting babies who survive an abortion attempt – including 70 percent of Democrats. Likewise, 71 percent of Americans oppose late-term abortion, according to a Marist poll taken last year. Bills like these should be a source of common ground, not division.
No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion
Since 1976, Congress has passed the Hyde Amendment each year, a measure to ensure that taxpayer dollars will not go toward abortion. This protects pro-life taxpayers from paying for something they consider to be morally wrong. No American should be forced to pay for a service that violates their conscience or beliefs.
To make this provision permanent, Congress needs to pass the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, a bill I have introduced numerous times. This would give certainty to pro-life Americans who do not wish to fund abortion. I will continue to work with my colleagues to advance this bill and other proposals that would protect American taxpayers and recognize the inherent dignity of every unborn child.
The Pro-Life Cause Is Gaining Ground
In spite of the gridlock in Congress, the pro-life cause is making progress. Last year nearly a dozen states, including Mississippi, passed legislation to protect life at earlier stages of development. Our friends in Louisiana passed a similar law that will soon be considered by the U.S. Supreme Court. The ruling later this year will include the input of President Donald Trump’s two appointees, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
Perhaps there is no greater measure of enthusiasm for the pro-life movement than the thousands of Americans who travel to Washington for the annual March for Life. Every January, I see hundreds of Mississippians, and scores of young people, joining in this gathering. These young citizens can play a pivotal role in moving the pro-life cause forward.
Wicker Votes for Pro-Life Legislation
Senate Considers Bills to Protect Pain-Capable Children, Abortion Survivors
February 25, 2020
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today voted for a pair of bills to advance pro-life protections. The Pain Capable Unborn Child Act would prohibit abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, when a child is able to feel pain. The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act would make it a crime for health care providers to kill or neglect an infant who survives an attempted abortion. Both bills failed to reach the 60-vote threshold required to advance legislation in the Senate.
“Unborn children who can feel pain should be protected, and children should be cared for after they are born,” Wicker said. “These should not be controversial concepts. It is disappointing that Senate Democrats blocked two bills that reflect these widely shared values, which are backed by scientific evidence. I will continue to be an advocate for these and other pro-life bills to support the most vulnerable members of our society.”Wicker Votes to Fund the Government
Bills Supporting National Defense, Border Security, Health, and Infrastructure Head to President’s Desk
December 19, 2019
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today voted for two legislative packages that include appropriations bills to fund the entire federal government for the fiscal year. The bills will now go to the president’s desk for his signature.
“I am disappointed that Congress has failed to pass individual appropriations bills this year. This flawed process is not the way to govern,” Wicker said. “However, I am encouraged that with this agreement we will avoid the damaging effects of another continuing resolution or government shutdown.”
“These appropriations packages put our national security first, providing important support for our military service members and ensuring our president has the tools he needs to defend our borders. They also guarantee strong investments in infrastructure, health, and research that will propel our American economy forward into the next decade without harmful proposals to remove pro-life protections or increase the regulatory burdens on small businesses,” Wicker said.
Among other provisions, the appropriations packages will provide a 3.1 percent pay raise for all members of the armed forces and $24 billion for the U.S. Navy’s shipbuilding plan, and establish a U.S. Space Force within the Air Force as the sixth military service. They will also fund the border wall, providing $1.375 billion outright in new funding and removing restrictions on the president’s ability to use homeland security funds for immigration and border enforcement activities.
The packages will also support important infrastructure projects and grants programs nationwide. They protect the sanctity of life and preserve all existing federal pro-life protections, including restrictions on federal funding for abortions and embryonic research. They also repeal the Obamacare taxes on medical devices, health insurers, and high-cost employer-sponsored health insurance.
Wicker Praises New Mississippi Human Trafficking Council
State and Federal Officials Launch Unified Effort to Prosecute Traffickers, Support Victims
September 10, 2019
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., supports the new statewide Mississippi Human Trafficking Council announced today by U.S. Attorneys Michael Hurst and William Lamar. The Council will coordinate efforts between the U.S. Department of Justice, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, and the Mississippi House of Representatives to prevent trafficking, protect victims, and prosecute criminals.
“Human trafficking plagues communities across the country, including many in Mississippi,” Wicker said. “This new council demonstrates the commitment by our state and the federal government to combat this barbaric practice aggressively. By working together and sharing information, we can support more victims and put more traffickers behind bars.”
Wicker Advances Pro-life Cause in the Senate
Five Bills Would Protect Every Person’s Inalienable Rights
August 5, 2019
The founding of America was based on revolutionary, self-evident truths. Every human being has God-given and inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The order is not an accident. Without life, the latter two are not possible. But, when it comes to abortion, our country fails to protect the lives of the most vulnerable among us: unborn children.
Upholding the sanctity of life has always been one of my most important priorities as a public official. As a state senator, I authored legislation giving Mississippi the strongest restrictions on abortion of any state in the country. I continue that fight today with five bills I recently introduced or cosponsored in the United States Senate.
Pro-life Legislation
The first of these bills, the “Life at Conception Act of 2019,” declares all unborn children to be persons with the same dignity and rights as every other human being. This is a common-sense observation backed up as scientific fact.
The 14th Amendment to the United State Constitution prohibits depriving any “person” of life without due process. The Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade did not answer the question of whether or not the unborn are persons, denying this legal defense to those in the womb. The “Life at Conception Act of 2019” would answer that question and extend 14th Amendment protections to expected children.
Most Americans, even those who describe themselves as “pro-choice,” do not want taxpayer dollars to be used for abortions. Such funding is currently prohibited by an annual adoption of the Hyde Amendment. I am glad House Democrats were unsuccessful in eliminating the Hyde Amendment’s protections during recent budget negotiations, but this debate should not have to be repeated every year. The “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act” would make the Hyde Amendment permanent, requiring all groups receiving federal money to certify they will not provide or fund abortions.
Protecting Patients
Health-care providers have obligations to do no harm to any patient, especially if they are publically funded. That includes patients at any stage of development, including expectant mothers, their babies, the elderly, and the disabled. The “Patients’ Rights Act” would complement the previous measures by making it illegal for a federally-funded facility to deny care intentionally to those in need.
A similar prohibition in a bill I introduced called “The Patients First Act” would end federal support for the exploitation and destruction of human embryos for medical research. This bill would encourage research using adult stem cells, which have more potential for breakthroughs than embryonic stem cells.
Making Good on the Founding’s Promise
The pro-life cause is growing stronger. I have been encouraged to see larger crowds at the March for Life in D.C. every year – including hundreds of Mississippians. Public opinion polls are moving in the right direction, and scientific advances have the potential to persuade more Americans of the truths underpinning each of these pieces of legislation.
The Supreme Court’s decision in 1973 should not bind the American people from extending civil rights protections and making corrections in the future. Those of us who advocate for this cause understand we are involved a long fight.
