This article originally appeared in the National Review
One year ago, over 30 nations joined forces to affirm life and family. The Geneva Consensus Declaration, signed on October 22, 2020, brought together countries that disagree on a wide range of issues. But they all found common ground to reaffirm a set of shared goals: that all people are equal before the law, that the human rights of women are inalienable, that all people possess inherent dignity and worth, that abortion is not family planning, and that the family is a fundamental unit of society. These coalition countries — including Brazil, Egypt, Uganda, and Indonesia — represented 1.6 billion people from around the world.
Under the leadership of President Donald Trump, the U.S. boldly led this global coalition in affirming that all life is sacred, and that abortion is not an international right. Our country stood alongside dozens of world leaders defending the sovereign right of nations to enact laws that advance the foundational values of life and family.
Today, however, one nation is notably missing from the Geneva Consensus list: the United States of America. Sadly, President Joe Biden abandoned this broad coalition’s values. In the earliest days of his presidency, Biden removed the U.S. from the list of signatories.
Despite this shameful withdrawal, life and women are winning. The global coalition has continued to grow, with 37 countries working together in support of real health gains for women and against the imposition of an anti-life, anti-family agenda.
This joint effort under the Declaration is not about one single country or presidential administration. It is a family of nations anchored in the shared recognition of the universal principles of life, family, and national sovereignty. The Biden administration’s decision to abandon these fundamental principles is disgraceful.All Our Opinion in Your Inbox
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As senator from Montana and the founder and chairman of the Senate Pro-Life Caucus, I will never back down from fighting the Biden administration’s radical attempts to push its pro-abortion agenda at home and abroad. U.S. foreign policy should not be about bullying other countries to adopt extreme agendas that run counter to their own values. I will continue to defend and vigilantly uphold longstanding federal laws, like the Helms Amendment and Siljander Amendment, which prohibit the United States from conducting or funding abortion or abortion lobbying in foreign countries.
No foreign power, no court, no United Nations bureaucrat has the right to take away the power and duty of sovereign nations to protect unborn children from the violence of abortion and to protect the most basic societal group, the family. The gift of life and family are given to us by our Creator, by our almighty God.
Just last month, I joined my colleagues in both the Senate and the House of Representatives to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Geneva Consensus Declaration with foreign ambassadors and dignitaries. The most powerful and effective way to give a voice to those who have none is to stand firm as a united coalition. While powerful external forces try to pick countries off one by one, I was proud to show my support on behalf of Montanans by introducing a resolution commemorating the first year of this historic, one-of-a-kind coalition that remains steadfast in its resolve to defend life and family.
Signing the Declaration was only the beginning. Thanks to the work of organizations like the Institute for Women’s Health in empowering global leaders, the coalition is alive and growing in force and strength. Every country can and must play a role in defending life and family. It is my prayer that all nations will ultimately be part of this effort to protect the most vulnerable in our societies — and that the U.S. will one day again pledge the same.
I stand firmly with those around the world who maintain their commitment to protecting life and family. And I call on President Biden to show that our great nation, too, affirms the dignity of every human being.
