About The National right to life Political Action Committee

Each election year, post-election polling by leading national pollsters has shown that the National Right to Life’s political entities (NRL Political Action Committee and NRL Victory Fund) are by far the most effective single-issue pro-life political action committees in the country. The combined power and experience of National Right to Life’s political committees, and NRLC’s network of dedicated volunteers, help make the difference in close elections. Very often they provide the margin of victory for pro-life candidates in hotly contested races.
 NRL’s political strategy is straightforward: we focus on the most competitive races in the nation and actively support electable candidates for federal office who will work to further the goals of the right-to-life movement. In 2018, 79% of the 278 federal candidates endorsed by National Right to Life won their elections.

 Of those 278 contests, NRL PAC and NRL Victory Fund focused their resources on 120 of the most competitive federal races: 13 U.S. Senate races and 107 races for the U.S. House of Representatives. There are certain historical trends that make it especially difficult for the president’s party to win Congress in midterm elections; 2018 was no exception.

The Democrats were able to win in the House of Representatives. However, we were actually able to gain two seats in the U.S. Senate! NRL’s political entities won 73 of the closely contested federal races—61%.

The loss of the U.S. House to pro-abortion leadership means we pro-lifers will be playing defense on many pro-life fronts. For example, pro-abortion Democrats are desperate to eliminate the pro-life Hyde Amendment, which limits taxpayer funding of abortion. The Democrats want to change the law so that your tax dollars pay for abortion on demand.

Thanks to the net gain of two senators, the U.S. Senate is still controlled by pro-life Republicans. Four new NRLC-endorsed Senators – Rick Scott in Florida, Kevin Cramer in North Dakota, Josh Hawley in Missouri, and Mike Braun in Indiana – all prevailed against pro-abortion incumbents, thanks to good candidates and national, state, and local right to life efforts on their behalf.
Ensuring we have a pro-life Senate that will confirm strict constructionist nominees and block judges who would entrench and expand Roe is one of the greatest responsibilities we pro-lifers have. Fortunately, the gain in the U.S. Senate means there will be additional support for President Trump’s judicial nominees. It means we have a stopgap against the U.S. House which for now is controlled by pro-abortion Democrats. For this, pro-lifers can be deeply thankful.

 National Right to Life, its political entities, and its state affiliates worked hard to expose the stark differences between the candidates on life issues, including candidates’ positions on the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, and the use of tax dollars to pay for abortion.

What are our goals for 2020? To retain a pro-life president, maintain pro-life majorities in the U.S. Senate, and regain pro-life control in the U.S. House. Of the 34 Senate seats up in 2020, only 12 are held by Democrats compared to 22 seats held by Republicans. In the U.S. House, Republicans need a net gain of about 19 seats to regain pro-life control.

The 2018 elections gave us a glimpse of what is in store for the 2020 elections. EMILY’s List, Planned Parenthood, and NARAL Pro-choice America’s candidates feel emboldened enough to admit their goal of allowing all abortion throughout pregnancy – and beyond.

They are furious that President Donald Trump restored and expanded the pro-life Mexico City Policy, redirected funds from the UNFPA, gave us U.S. Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, appointed many pro-life advocates to his administration, and said he will sign other pro-life initiatives, including legislation that would protect pain-capable unborn babies from abortion and defund abortion providers.
We must prepare for 2020 like we’ve never prepared before. We must strengthen pro-life support so we can continue with the goal of protecting the most vulnerable.

Top right, NRL Executive Director David O'Steen with Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst
Middle left, NRL President Carol Tobias with Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
Bottom right NRL Political Director Karen Cross with Montana Senator Steve Daines

Karen Cross, political director
(202) 626-8838
 www.nrlpac.org