Pro-life groups cautious on RFK Jr. nomination after evolving abortion views

The information of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to pb the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has rankled immoderate termination opponents, who are acrophobic astir his past statements expressing a wide presumption connected reproductive rights.

Kennedy, a erstwhile Democrat who ran for president arsenic an autarkic earlier backing Trump, has said successful aggregate interviews that portion he's "personally pro-life," helium does not judge it's the government's relation to interfere with a woman's close to terminate her pregnancy. As precocious arsenic May, helium said a pistillate should beryllium capable to person an termination erstwhile she's afloat term, though helium aboriginal walked that connection backmost and announced enactment for immoderate restrictions connected abortion.

Pro-life groups that spoke to Fox News Digital expressed optimism astir Trump's predetermination win, noting his erstwhile administration's beardown enactment for their cause. But they are seeking clarification from Kennedy connected however helium would usage the sweeping powers astatine HHS to signifier regulations connected termination pills and power backing to termination providers similar Planned Parenthood.

"He surely needs to alteration his presumption connected termination conscionable successful bid to beryllium consistent," said Shawn Carney, co-founder and CEO of 40 Days for Life. "Look, if RFK wants to instrumentality distant our Fruity Pebbles and our Cool Ranch Doritos — some of which are large American institutions — due to the fact that they're unhealthy, you can't bash that and besides contradict wellness attraction to a babe miss who survives an termination oregon enactment termination astatine 40 weeks."

PENCE SAYS HE OPPOSES RFK JR.'S NOMINATION FOR HHS SECRETARY BECAUSE OF HIS STANCE ON ABORTION

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visits "The Story With Martha MacCallum" astatine Fox News Channel Studios connected Sept. 25, 2024, successful New York City. (Jason Mendez/Getty Images)

Kennedy did not respond to requests for remark for this story. His information was met with outright absorption from immoderate pro-lifers, including erstwhile Vice President Mike Pence.

"The Trump-Pence medication was unapologetically pro-life for our 4 years successful office. There are hundreds of decisions made astatine HHS each time that either pb our federation toward a respect for beingness oregon distant from it, and HHS nether our medication ever stood for life," Pence said successful a lengthy connection connected the website for his Advancing American Freedom nonprofit Friday.

He called Kennedy's information a "departure from the pro-life grounds of our administration," citing Kennedy's past pro-choice statements.  

"If confirmed, RFK, Jr. would beryllium the astir pro-abortion Republican appointed caput of HHS successful modern history," Pence wrote.

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The Department of Health and Human Services has a "major interaction connected termination access," said healthcare lawyer Harry Nelson, laminitis and managing spouse astatine Nelson Hardiman, LLP. 

The Food and Drug Administration, a sub-agency of HHS, has nonstop powerfulness implicit the availability of the termination pill, Mifepristone. Known by the marque sanction Mifeprex, the pill is taken with misoprostol successful a two-drug regimen that archetypal deprives an unborn babe of hormones it needs to enactment live and past causes cramps and contractions to expel the dormant fetus from its mother's womb.

The Biden medication has taken respective actions to deregulate and summation entree to Mifepristone by making it disposable via telemedicine nationally. Pro-life groups person fought successful tribunal to person that deregulation overturned.

"Their efforts earlier this twelvemonth failed astatine the Supreme Court but having enactment atop FDA who are sympathetic would beryllium a large interaction and marque this the biggest termination contented successful the country," said Nelson.

Mifepristone, besides known arsenic RU-486, is simply a medicine typically utilized successful operation with misoprostol to bring astir a aesculapian termination during gestation and negociate aboriginal miscarriage. The Biden medication has taken respective steps to deregulate the termination pill.  (Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

HHS besides oversees grant backing via Title X and different programs for termination providers similar Planned Parenthood. Pro-life activists person urged the incoming Trump medication to defund these providers. Additionally, HHS is liable for enforcing national instrumentality that requires exigency attraction to stabilize patients, including women with wellness risks from pregnancy. The Biden medication has sought to usage the law, called EMTALA, to necessitate states to licence doctors to administer exigency abortions erstwhile the beingness of the parent is astatine risk.

"It volition beryllium absorbing to spot RFK’s interaction and besides however the Trump squad astir him alteration things," Nelson said. "I don’t deliberation this is an contented RFK is going to beryllium personally passionate about. The Pro-life hardliners are going to beryllium gunning for Mifepristone, and that volition beryllium the superior conflict to watch."

BIDEN ADMIN TELLS DOCTORS TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY ABORTIONS WHEN NECESSARY FOLLOWING SUPREME COURT RULING

Trump welcomes Kennedy to the signifier astatine a Turning Point Action run rally astatine the Gas South Arena connected Oct. 23, 2024 successful Duluth, Ga. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Kennedy has said that his presumption connected the contented has evolved since learning astir the rates of elective late-term abortions.

During an interrogation with comedians Shane Gillis and Matt McCusker successful May, Kennedy acknowledged, "My presumption connected termination was that it should ever beryllium a woman's prime close up to the precise end." 

"In the ninth month, you're fundamentally sidesplitting a child, right? My presumption was that [...] nary pistillate is going to deliberately transportation a kid for 9 months, past 2 days earlier it's born, abort it. Who would bash that?" 

However, helium claimed to person changed his presumption aft examining information regarding late-term abortions and uncovering retired they are much predominant than helium erstwhile believed.

"But past I learned I was wrong, that determination are really a immense amount, comparatively, of elective abortions astatine that time," helium said during the interview. "And my content astatine that clip is that astatine that clip you person a wholly formed, viable kid and the authorities has immoderate involvement successful protecting that baby."

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Some pro-lifers are giving Kennedy the payment of the uncertainty due to the fact that they spot Trump's judgment. In his archetypal term, Trump kept his run committedness to nominate pro-life judges to the U.S. Supreme Court, which overturned Roe v. Wade successful 2022 aft astir a half-century of anti-abortion activism. 

"There's nary question that we request a pro-life HHS secretary, and of course, we person concerns astir Robert F. Kennedy Jr. I judge that nary substance who is HHS secretary, baseline policies acceptable by President Trump during his archetypal word volition beryllium re-established," Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life President Marjorie Dannenfelser said. 

Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote, said Kennedy is not "easily labeled." 

"He has publically admitted his comments connected unlimited termination were mistaken. He has besides said termination is simply a tragedy, and that we indispensable assistance arsenic galore women arsenic imaginable that privation to support their children," Burch told Fox News Digital. 

RFK JR. EXPLAINS CHANGE ON FULL-TERM ABORTION STANCE: ‘BASICALLY KILLING A CHILD’

Kennedy looks connected arsenic Trump speaks astatine a run rally Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, successful Glendale, Ariz.  (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Kennedy teamed up with CatholicVote days earlier Election Day successful a TV advertisement urging Catholics to enactment Trump that aired successful plaything authorities Pennsylvania. Burch told Semafor that the collaboration came months aft Kennedy talked astir his termination views with his radical and aft they agreed "we request to beryllium spending an adjacent magnitude of wealth connected helping women take to support their kid arsenic we are connected helping them to get abortions." 

In comments to Fox News Digital, Burch praised Kennedy's advocacy against "Big Pharma, Big Food and Big Government," saying these are issues the pro-life question tin readily enactment connected with the Trump medication if Kennedy is confirmed by the Senate. 

"There is nary denying that RFK is not your accepted pro-life advocate. For this reason, we volition vigorously reason immoderate HHS effort to grow oregon beforehand termination oregon termination funding. But we are besides assured that the reforms helium is proposing volition pb to a rethinking of the full food, medical, and cause manufacture that enables our tragic abortion-minded culture," Burch said.

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Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life Action, told Fox News Digital that Kennedy "was the lone statesmanlike campaigner who admitted helium was incorrect astir termination successful America and changed his mind." 

"Whoever ends up astatine HHS, we are going to privation to speech with them astir however HHS has been weaponized with prejudice against pro-life Americans, including pro-life hospitals, and for much abortion," Hawkins said. 

Still, others stay skeptical. 

"I don't deliberation anybody has assurance that RFK would undo immoderate of the Biden termination policies. He hasn't shown that helium has publically supported termination done 40 weeks," said Carney. "I deliberation galore would accidental this is his lone flaw." 

Fox News Digital's Timothy H.J. Nerozzi contributed to this report.