The biggest prize of last November is getting settled in his Supreme Court office. But Justice Neil Gorsuch was only part of the GOP’s payoff for electing Donald Trump. With Antonin Scalia’s replacement firmly in place, conservatives are turning up the heat on phase two: defunding Planned Parenthood.

Unlike years past, Republicans finally have the pieces in place to strip away most of the taxpayer funding from the abortion behemoth. The prospects looked bleak late last month when the American Health Care Act (AHCA) unraveled in the House, but after scrapping some of the objectionable parts of that bill, even some of the earlier measure’s fiercest critics — like House Freedom Caucus Chair Mark Meadows (R-NC) — think the chamber is closer than ever to a deal. According to Meadows, he and leadership are in “final negotiations” on an Obamacare replacement plan that would put a dagger in the heart of Planned Parenthood’s taxpayer dollars. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer confirmed those reports Tuesday, telling reporters, “We are getting closer and closer every day” to a deal on health care, and the Freedom Caucus’s ideas “are very helpful.”

Of course, as everyone knows — including Spicer — the tricky part will be “figuring out whether or not those attract additional votes — gain additional support — and don’t detract” by scaring off some Republican moderates. What hasn’t scared off Republicans is the pro-life language. The best thing either piece of legislation had going for it was the portion that takes aim at the forced partnership between taxpayers and the nation’s biggest abortion business. In fact, as Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-OK) told a rowdy town hall this week in Oklahoma, that was the reason he even considered voting for the AHCA last month.

When a group of abortion activists stood up and started booing (while others cheered), Bridenstine repeated himself and then asked, “Did you know it defunded Planned Parenthood?” The Tulsa World reports that later, responding to another question, “Bridenstine said he favored giving the federal money now going to Planned Parenthood to clinics such as Tulsa’s Morton Health Center ‘because they don’t do abortions. They don’t kill babies.’” (Or joke about hitting the gym to have the strength to do it, as Cecile Richards’s group was caught saying.)

Congressman Bridenstine is just one example of how potent the pro-life agenda has become. Even when a bill is as unpopular as the AHCA, defunding Planned Parenthood is a compelling enough concept to win over members. In this case, severing ties with the group is actually sweetening the deal for most conservatives. In all candor, the life issue has helped to keep conservatives at the table on health care when many were tempted to walk away.

As I told Time magazine, Donald Trump won the election by tapping into pro-lifers’ priorities like the Supreme Court and Planned Parenthood. It’s also how we turned a personality driven election into a policy election. So, if Republicans want to keep the majority and have the ability to lead the country, they have to follow through on those promises. And based on the assurances I’ve gotten about the latest plan, they’re ready to.

Originally published here.

The Best Seat in the House

President Trump is already creating jobs — in Congress! After promoting some members to high-profile jobs in the administration, a handful of unexpected seats have opened up in the U.S. House. Tuesday, in a special election to fill one of those vacancies, Kansas’s Ron Estes (R) managed to become the newest member of Congress. It was an unexpectedly tight race for CIA Director Mike Pompeo’s seat, thanks to the money pouring in from outside liberal groups that hoped — and failed — to flip the district blue.

A former businessman and Trump supporter, Estes carried on the Republican tradition in a seat that hasn’t belonged to a Democrat since 1992. “We heard a lot from the national media and from people outside the state that we weren’t going to be able to win this race. We showed tonight that we were,” Estes said. “We’re still a Republican seat. … We sent a message across the country that we’re still Republican. That message should echo.” Although liberals came within seven points of victory, they were a long shot for a district that Trump carried by a whopping 27 percent.

FRC Action Director Brent Keilen said the race earned a lot of national attention since it was the first since the president was sworn in. Five more seats are empty after Trump appointments. For values voters, Brent explained, the Estes victory is a meaningful one. “On the campaign trail, Ron Estes engaged voters on issues they cared about like religious liberty, Obamacare repeal, and defending our constitutional freedoms. He also stated that protecting life and defunding Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, would be top priorities if elected. His clear positions on these conservative issues put him over the top with Kansas voters, and we look forward to working with him in Washington, DC.”

Originally published here.

This is a publication of the Family Research Council. Mr. Perkins is president of FRC.