Successful F&L Meetings in Washington

28.03.2019

A delegation sponsored by Family & Life flew to Washington DC on Wednesday, March 13 for a series of meetings with key US pro-life figures. It included Aoife and Máirín from our office, and two independent TDs, Mattie McGrath and Carol Nolan. Both TDs had voted against the government’s abortion legislation last year. The group met with American politicians, including two of the most prominent pro-life members of the US Congress, the veteran Chris Smith who has been in the House of Representatives since 1980 and Senator Steve Daines of Montana, who recently established the first pro-life caucus in the US Senate.

The members of Congress and their staffs visited by the F&L group were more than happy to meet the two Irish TDs, and hear first hand how Ireland’s government had dumped the 8th Amendment that protected unborn babies since 1983, and in its place introduced abortion on demand.

Rep. Chris Smith has championed human rights for mothers and unborn babies, for trafficked women and children, and supported restrictions on hand guns. He heads the House’s pro-life caucus, which dates from 1981. One of his projects is called The First 1000 Days, a programme to maintain the health of mothers and their babies which carries a clear pro-life message.

On Friday morning, the F&L group attended a meeting organised by the Northern Ireland Bureau, the diplomatic mission of the Executive at Stormont, representing its interests in Canada and the USA. This was an opportunity for TDs to meet MLAs from the Legislative Assembly in Belfast.

The group also met with a number of the main US pro-life groups that have offices in Washington. These meetings were particularly productive and the groups exchanged information and advice. The Irish group also did a number of recorded interviews.

Family & Life. March 22.