Editor's Note: Part I of this article can be found here.
Donald J. Trump is now the President of the United States of America. Back on November 8, 2016, in a stunning political upset, the President defeated the Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in the race to become the 45th President of the United States. At the same time Republicans across the country won more victories by not only retaining control of both houses of the U.S. congress (albeit with a few seats lost) but also expanding their control of state governorships to 33 from 31 and increasing their control of all aspects of the state governments (both the governorships and state legislatures) from 23 to 25. [1] The election and inauguration of Donald Trump brings new hope in enacting civil laws in the United States that conform to the laws of God regarding the right to life and the freedom of the Church.
President Trump has made many specific promises about what he intends to do as President which will, if accomplished, give greater protections to the unborn and the Church. He has said that he would pick Supreme Court justices who are "pro-life". He said that "the justices I am going to appoint will be pro-life. They will have a conservative bent." [2] Hopefully this means that they will overturn the abominable Roe v. Wade decision. Trump has said he will defund Planned Parenthood and reallocate its funding to community health centers. [3] He has reaffirmed this promise in an interview after the election as well as in statements made before the election. [4] And he said he will sign into law the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would prohibit abortions after 20 weeks, the point at which pro-life activists say the unborn can feel pain. [5] While such a law may be difficult to defend under the Supreme Court's rulings regarding abortion if Trump is able to appoint enough justices to the Court who will overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (the 1992 U.S. Supreme Court decision which reaffirmed the essential holding of Roe v. Wade) then the Supreme Court might agree not to strike this law down. Trump has also promised to make the Hyde Amendment permanent. [6] Since 1976, Congress has annually passed the Hyde Amendment, banning the use of federal dollars-in particular, Medicaid funds-for abortion, except in the case of rape, incest or a threat to the mother's life. [7] This law was credited with saving two million unborn children from abortion. [8] Trump has promised to get rid of the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits tax-exempt organizations like churches from formally endorsing or opposing political candidates [9] as well as signing the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) if it passes Congress. [10] The FADA would prevent the federal government from taking discriminatory action against a person on the basis of a person's belief or conduct that affirms that marriage is only between a man and a woman and sex should only occur within marriage. [11]
Thus Donald Trump’s election brings new hope in enacting civil laws in the United States that conform to the laws of God regarding the right to life and the freedom of the Church as he has made many promises to Catholics that he will do such things. He has said he would appoint Supreme Court justices who are pro-life, defund Planned Parenthood, sign into law the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, make the Hyde Amendment permanent, get rid of the Johnson Amendment, and sign the First Amendment Defense Act. It is yet to be seen whether the President will follow through on these promises and we hope that he will fulfill such promises. In the meantime we remember that whoever is President Christ is King! Viva Cristo Rey! Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe! Long live Christ the King! Long live the Virgin of Guadalupe!
[1] See here: https://ballotpedia.org/Election_results,_2016.
[2] See here: http://www.lifenews.com/2016/11/14/president-elect-donald-trump-im-pro-life-the-judges-will-be-pro-life/.
[3] See here: http://www.lifenews.com/2016/02/18/donald-trump-promises-as-president-i-will-sign-a-bill-to-de-fund-planned-parenthood/.
[4] Ibid.
[5] See here: http://ijr.com/2016/09/694694-donald-trump-pro-life-leader-hyde-amendment-clinton-kaine-susan-b-anthony-list/.
[6] See here: http://ijr.com/2016/09/694694-donald-trump-pro-life-leader-hyde-amendment-clinton-kaine-susan-b-anthony-list/.
[7] Ibid.
[8] See here: http://thefederalist.com/2016/09/30/hyde-amendment-saved-2-million-lives-democrats-want-end/.
[9] See here: http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/38836-will-trump-still-end-the-johnson-amendment.
[10] See here: https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/issues-of-importance-to-catholics.
[11] See here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2802.
Donald J. Trump is now the President of the United States of America. Back on November 8, 2016, in a stunning political upset, the President defeated the Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in the race to become the 45th President of the United States. At the same time Republicans across the country won more victories by not only retaining control of both houses of the U.S. congress (albeit with a few seats lost) but also expanding their control of state governorships to 33 from 31 and increasing their control of all aspects of the state governments (both the governorships and state legislatures) from 23 to 25. [1] The election and inauguration of Donald Trump brings new hope in enacting civil laws in the United States that conform to the laws of God regarding the right to life and the freedom of the Church.
President Trump has made many specific promises about what he intends to do as President which will, if accomplished, give greater protections to the unborn and the Church. He has said that he would pick Supreme Court justices who are "pro-life". He said that "the justices I am going to appoint will be pro-life. They will have a conservative bent." [2] Hopefully this means that they will overturn the abominable Roe v. Wade decision. Trump has said he will defund Planned Parenthood and reallocate its funding to community health centers. [3] He has reaffirmed this promise in an interview after the election as well as in statements made before the election. [4] And he said he will sign into law the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would prohibit abortions after 20 weeks, the point at which pro-life activists say the unborn can feel pain. [5] While such a law may be difficult to defend under the Supreme Court's rulings regarding abortion if Trump is able to appoint enough justices to the Court who will overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (the 1992 U.S. Supreme Court decision which reaffirmed the essential holding of Roe v. Wade) then the Supreme Court might agree not to strike this law down. Trump has also promised to make the Hyde Amendment permanent. [6] Since 1976, Congress has annually passed the Hyde Amendment, banning the use of federal dollars-in particular, Medicaid funds-for abortion, except in the case of rape, incest or a threat to the mother's life. [7] This law was credited with saving two million unborn children from abortion. [8] Trump has promised to get rid of the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits tax-exempt organizations like churches from formally endorsing or opposing political candidates [9] as well as signing the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) if it passes Congress. [10] The FADA would prevent the federal government from taking discriminatory action against a person on the basis of a person's belief or conduct that affirms that marriage is only between a man and a woman and sex should only occur within marriage. [11]
Thus Donald Trump’s election brings new hope in enacting civil laws in the United States that conform to the laws of God regarding the right to life and the freedom of the Church as he has made many promises to Catholics that he will do such things. He has said he would appoint Supreme Court justices who are pro-life, defund Planned Parenthood, sign into law the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, make the Hyde Amendment permanent, get rid of the Johnson Amendment, and sign the First Amendment Defense Act. It is yet to be seen whether the President will follow through on these promises and we hope that he will fulfill such promises. In the meantime we remember that whoever is President Christ is King! Viva Cristo Rey! Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe! Long live Christ the King! Long live the Virgin of Guadalupe!
[1] See here: https://ballotpedia.org/Election_results,_2016.
[2] See here: http://www.lifenews.com/2016/11/14/president-elect-donald-trump-im-pro-life-the-judges-will-be-pro-life/.
[3] See here: http://www.lifenews.com/2016/02/18/donald-trump-promises-as-president-i-will-sign-a-bill-to-de-fund-planned-parenthood/.
[4] Ibid.
[5] See here: http://ijr.com/2016/09/694694-donald-trump-pro-life-leader-hyde-amendment-clinton-kaine-susan-b-anthony-list/.
[6] See here: http://ijr.com/2016/09/694694-donald-trump-pro-life-leader-hyde-amendment-clinton-kaine-susan-b-anthony-list/.
[7] Ibid.
[8] See here: http://thefederalist.com/2016/09/30/hyde-amendment-saved-2-million-lives-democrats-want-end/.
[9] See here: http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/38836-will-trump-still-end-the-johnson-amendment.
[10] See here: https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/issues-of-importance-to-catholics.
[11] See here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2802.
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