PRO LIFE AGENDA BOOSTED WITH CHARMAINE YOEST IN HHS
PRO LIFE AGENDA BOOSTED WITH
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
The Daily Signal, the Heritage Foundation’s daily Web-based newsletter, took a close look Tuesday
at President Trump’s recent appointment of Charmaine Yoest (shown) as
top communicator at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The Daily Signal’s writer, Rachel del Guidice, liked what she
found: Yoest is one more example of the paradigm shift taking place in
the Trump administration regarding the value of human life from the
moment of conception.
Del Guidice interviewed Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for
Life of America, who told her that “we are going to see a radical
transformation occur within HHS. I fully expect us [as a society] to
talk about … the consequences of abortion on women.”
Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council, was equally encouraged:
will have a huge impact, making sure [that the agency’s] policies are
consistent with [HHS’s Secretary Tom Price’s] vision inside and out … I
think [she’s] going to have a significant impact.
Almost from the day of her graduation from Wheaton College in 1986,
Yoest has been involved in politics, initially working as a staffer in
the Reagan administration. Over time, her interest and skills in the
pro-life movement led her to become a policy analyst and then vice
president at the Family Research Council. After that she became
president and CEO of Americans United for Life (AUL), following which
she joined Gary Bauer’s American Values pro-life group as a senior
fellow.
In her new position as assistant secretary for public affairs at HHS,
she will be in charge of all iterations of communications for the
agency including writing speeches for Price, involving herself in the
agency’s strategic planning, and managing the agency’s broadcast and
digital communications.
Her appointment resulted in howls of protests from the abortion
industry, including, not surprisingly, Planned Parenthood (PP). Dawn
Laguens, PP’s executive vice president, declared:
history of promoting myths and false information about women’s health is
appointed to a government position whose main responsibility is to
provide the public with accurate and factual information. [Yoest] has
spent her whole professional life opposing access to birth control and a
woman’s right to a safe, legal abortion.
Liberal Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) issued a statement of protest as well:
undermine women’s access to health care and safe, legal abortion by
distorting the facts, and her selection shows yet again that this
administration is pandering to extreme conservatives and ignoring the
millions of men and women nationwide who support women’s
constitutionally-protected health care rights [and who] don’t want to go
backward.
This shift by President Trump in ideology toward life began on
January 23 when he reinstated the “Mexico City Policy” that was
rescinded by President Obama. That policy blocks federal spending for
NGOs (non-governmental organizations) that provide abortion services or
referrals, or advocate to decriminalize abortion or expand abortion
services. With that single action, Trump cut off an estimated $500
million to those NGOs.
This was followed shortly thereafter with the Trump administration
defunding the pro-abortion United Nations Population Fund (another $75
million) and then signing a bill to allow states to defund Planned
Parenthood in their own jurisdictions.
Trump is riding on a train of pro-life momentum. On the average,
states have added 57 new abortion restrictions every year between 2011
and 2015, with the number accelerating over time, according to the
Guttmacher Institute.
Perhaps the most telling shift in ideology and policy is the fact
that Yoest is replacing an Obama appointee who immediately joined
Planned Parenthood. As Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life
group Susan B. Anthony List, expressed it:
Kevin Griffis, who now works for Planned Parenthood, is another
indicator of the dramatic change we’ve seen in Washington since the
election of President Trump.
movement and our fight to protect unborn children and their mothers from
the horror of abortion.
Related article:
Pro-life Leader Charmaine Yoest Named to HHS Post