Archbishop Georg Gänswein, the Vatican’s nuncio to the Baltic states, gives an exclusive interview to EWTN News in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Jan. 20, 2026. | Credit: Tim Hotzelmann/EWTN News

Jan 23, 2026 / 06:27 am (CNA).

Archbishop Georg Gänswein says last year’s change of popes has brought a “whole new positive dimension” to the Vatican.

“Above all, there has been a change for the better in the atmosphere” with Pope Leo XIV, the Vatican’s nuncio to the Baltic states and Pope Benedict XVI’s former secretary told Rudolf Gehrig of EWTN News during a Jan. 20 interview in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Gänswein said he met Leo twice last year, most recently in mid-December.

“Both meetings went very, very well. And the intervening period has made it very clear to me that — to put it somewhat idiosyncratically — normality is slowly returning,” he said, calling it a sign for him that “faith and the Holy Spirit are indeed at work.”

“I used the term normalization. For me, it is important to see that Pope Leo has simply emphasized some matters that are not new but which have been completely overlooked in recent years.”

Gänswein has been nuncio to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, based out of Vilnius, since 2024. The archbishop’s diplomatic post follows 17 years as the personal secretary of Pope Benedict XVI and 11 years as the Vatican’s prefect of the Papal Household.

The nuncio, originally from Germany, also praised Leo’s “clear line when it comes to proclaiming the faith,” which he does “joyfully and convincingly.”

“When you read his catechesis or sermons, you can sense that this is a man who lives and proclaims the faith with an Augustinian spirit,” Gänswein said.

German Synodal Way

The archbishop also addressed the Synodal Way in Germany, also known as the Synodal Path, which is set to hold its sixth and final assembly starting Jan. 29.

Gänswein expressed concern that the process will lead to deeper division in society and the Church, and underlined that any possible reforms must always adhere to established Church teaching.

“Anyone who has followed the events surrounding the Synodal Path from the beginning to the present day can see one important thing, namely that a number of the demands of the Synodal Path lead away from the faith,” he said.

“There is no doubt that there is indeed a need to change and reform certain things here and there. I agree with that,” the nuncio said. “However, what has been shown so far on the Synodal Path is, for me, clear evidence that this is not about a return to a deepening of the faith but about a watering down of the faith.”

He said any changes cannot differ from the Catholic Church’s position on morality, ethics, the sacramental structure of the Church, or the official authority of bishops.

“I can only hope and pray that this wrong path will simply come to an end soon,” he added.

WASHINGTON - “As tens of thousands of pilgrims gathered for the annual March for Life this week, we were grateful to see the U.S. House of Representatives pass the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act and the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act,” announced bishop-chairmen of three committees of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on Friday. 

“Building a culture of life requires helping mothers to be able to welcome their new children,” they continued. “Too often, however, expectant and vulnerable women are essentially told that they have to choose either their child or their future. No one should have to make this ultimately false choice. The Pregnant Students’ Rights Act is needed legislation that would simply ensure that colleges and universities at least provide information about the resources, services, rights, and accommodations available for pregnant and parenting students. The Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act would help ensure that key public resources are available to pregnancy help centers, which compassionately accompany women in need with baby supplies, childcare assistance, health and parenting information, career services, and more. Amid great uncertainty and difficulty, such support can make a life-saving difference.”

The three bishops spoke as chairmen of their respective committees: Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, Bishop David M. O’Connell, CM, chairman of the Committee on Catholic Education, and Bishop Daniel E. Thomas, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities. Bishops O’Connell and Thomas had also sent a letter to Congress on Thursday in support of the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act. The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on its own version of that bill next week.

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Advocating for unborn children is fulfilling the Lord's command to serve him in the most vulnerable, Pope Leo XIV told those taking part in the March for Life.

"I would encourage you, especially the young people, to continue striving to ensure that life is respected in all of its stages through appropriate efforts at every level of society, including dialogue with civil and political leaders," he said in a written message released by the Vatican Jan. 22.  

"May Jesus, who promised to be with us always, accompany you today as you courageously and peacefully march on behalf of unborn children," he wrote. "By advocating for them, please know that you are fulfilling the Lord’s command to serve him in the least of our brothers and sisters." 

The March for Life is held every year in January in Washington, D.C., to march on Capitol Hill to remember the anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling, which legalized abortion nationwide in 1973. While the Supreme Court overturned Roe in 2022, abortion policy is now determined at the state and federal levels.

Addressing his message to all people taking part in the Jan. 23 March for Life, Pope Leo sent his "warm greetings" and expressed his "heartfelt appreciation."

He assured them "of my spiritual closeness as you gather for this eloquent public witness to affirm that 'the protection of the right to life constitutes the indispensable foundation of every other human right,'" quoting from his Jan. 9 address to members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See. 

"Indeed, 'a society is healthy and truly progresses only when it safeguards the sanctity of human life and works actively to promote it,'" he wrote.

"With these sentiments, I entrust all of you, as well as those who support you with their prayers and sacrifices, to the intercession of Mary Immaculate, patroness of the United States of  America, and I gladly impart my apostolic blessing as a pledge of abundant heavenly graces," his message concluded.

Bishop James D. Conley of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, celebrates Mass at the National Prayer Vigil for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. | Credit: EWTN

Jan 22, 2026 / 22:17 pm (CNA).

Thousands of young Catholics gathered at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Jan. 22, to worship at a vigil Mass on the eve of the March for Life.

“Our goal is not only to make abortion illegal,” Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, Bishop James D. Conley said during the homily. “Our goal is to make abortion unthinkable.”

More than 5,000 people — many of them high school or college students — filled the upper church of the basilica to attend the Mass. Following Mass, many worshippers prayed at the National Holy Hour for Life, which was held in the crypt of the basilica during adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, which included praying the luminous mysteries of the rosary.

The Jan. 22 service marked the 47th straight National Prayer Vigil for Life held at the basilica, which it began hosting in 1979 — six years after the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade. The Thursday night event marked the fourth post-Roe vigil.

The first reading came from Isaiah 49, in which the prophet wrote: “Before birth the Lord called me; from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.”

In his homily, Conley referred back to that reading a few times and expressed joy at the number of young people who attended the vigil with the goal to “build a culture of life and a civilization of love, where babies are protected in their mothers’ wombs and women are loved, heard, and cared for when they find themselves faced with very difficult and life-changing decisions.”

The bishop noted that there are many threats to the dignity of the human person prevalent in society, including euthanasia, gun violence, the death penalty, the suffering of the poor and of migrants, racism, and a lack of access to health care and education.

“But our brothers and sisters in the womb are the most vulnerable and the most voiceless,” he said, noting that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has labeled the issue its preeminent priority in terms of political concerns.

Even after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Conley noted there are still over 1 million abortions annually. Yet, he expressed hope that the young people in front of him “are the pro-life generation” and will help bring an end to abortion in the United States.

“I firmly believe that 50 years from now when my generation will have gone to God, your grandchildren will ask you: ‘Is it true, that when you were my age, they put children to death in the womb?’” Conley said.

Conley was the main celebrant of the Mass, but it was concelebrated by Cardinal Robert McElroy of the Archdiocese of Washington; Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the archbishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Boston; Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States; and other archbishops, bishops, and priests.

Pierre, at the start of Mass, read aloud a note offered by Pope Leo XIV to attendees of the vigil in which the pontiff assured participants of his “spiritual closeness” as they gather “for this eloquent public witness to affirm that the protection of the right to life [is the] ... indispensable foundation of every other human right.”

According to the note, Leo told participants they are “fulfilling the Lord’s command to serve him in the least of our brothers and sisters” and bestowed an apostolic blessing on them.

Many attendees traveled from other parts of the country to worship at the Jan. 22 vigil and attend the Jan. 23 March for Life.

Miriam Ware, 16, flew from Idaho with a local group called Teens for Life and told EWTN she has become “very interested in becoming a pro-life advocate.”

She said she has attended the Idaho March for Life, but this is the first time she has come to the national March for Life in Washington, D.C., and enjoys seeing “how united we are” as a pro-life movement: “Just to see everyone here is awesome.”

Gus Buell, a Catholic high school junior from Traverse City, Michigan, told EWTN that he arrived on Thursday after a 13-hour bus ride and will be attending the March for Life for the first time on Friday.

He said the march helps build up the Catholic and pro-life community, and he commented on the large number of young people active in the faith and the movement, saying “kids are finally starting to be inspired” and many are “trusting God more than they trust themselves.”

The March for Life drew about 150,000 people last year. The 53rd March for Life is on Friday, Jan. 23. The March for Life rally will be held on the National Mall from 11 a.m. until about 1 p.m., after which attendees will march past the U.S. Capitol and conclude in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building.

If you’re attending the March for Life, don’t forget to use #ewtnprolife on all your posts across X, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook!

Want to relive interviews and special moments from the march? Visit ewtnnews.com/watch and subscribe to youtube.com/@EWTNNews for full coverage.

Credit: roibu/Shutterstock

Jan 22, 2026 / 18:30 pm (CNA).

The abortion issue will likely be on the ballot in several states this November.

EWTN News took a look at which states have abortion-related measures in the works or on the ballot. 

Four states might vote to create a right to abortion this November. Only one state has a measure to protect life.

Virginian lawmakers add abortion to the ballot

This November, Virginians will consider an amendment to enshrine a fundamental right to abortion in the state constitution. The amendment, if passed, could jeopardize already-existing laws protecting unborn children as well as Virginia’s parental notification law.

The proposed abortion amendment would create a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including the ability to make and carry out decisions relating to one’s own prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and fertility care.”

Virginia lawmakers approved the amendment for a second time earlier this month, guaranteeing that it will be on the ballot. Virginia Catholic bishops promptly condemned the amendment, saying they “will fight” against its passage.

Virginia protects life after 28 weeks of pregnancy, meaning that abortion is legal until the end of the second trimester and after in cases of serious risk to the woman’s health or life.

Nevada looks to confirm abortion amendment

Nevada is close to approving an abortion amendment that would recognize a right to abortion.

The amendment would establish a “fundamental right” to an abortion, “without interference by state or local governments” up to viability, and up to birth for the sake of the health or life of the pregnant mother.

In Nevada, the state constitution can be amended only after two affirmative public votes in consecutive even-year elections. About 64% of Nevadans voted in favor of the amendment in 2024, so a 2026 passage would enshrine the amendment. 

Abortion since the 1990s has been legal until the 24th week of pregnancy in Nevada. In addition to reinforcing pro-abortion laws, the new amendment could block other state laws including the parental notification requirement for minors seeking abortions.

Idaho gathers signatures for abortion ballot measure

In Idaho, a measure to create a right to abortion may appear on the November ballot.

Campaigners are gathering signatures for the measure to legalize abortion until viability, when the baby can survive outside of the womb.

The measure guarantees “a right to make and carry out reproductive decisions, including a right to abortion up to fetus viability.”

Idaho law protects unborn children at all stages of pregnancy, with exceptions if the mother’s life is at risk.

Oregon measure could reinforce pro-abortion laws

A measure to affirm a right to abortion in Oregon may be on the November ballot.

The measure states that “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged … on account of sex.”

If passed, it would also affirm a right to contraception, in vitro fertilization, medical “gender transition,” and same-sex marriage. The measure would repeal a vestigial code in the constitution that defines marriage as between one man and one woman.

Oregon does not protect life at any stage of pregnancy, and the state funds abortion.

Potential ballot measure could repeal Missouri abortion amendment

In November, Missourians will have the opportunity to repeal a 2024 amendment that created a right to abortion in the state constitution. 

If passed, the measure would repeal the state’s constitutional right to abortion and allow for laws to regulate abortion. It would also codify parental consent for minors seeking abortion and prohibit gender transition procedures for minors.

The amendment would not protect unborn children younger than 12 weeks in cases of rape or incest. 

Abortion laws have been in flux in Missouri as the 2024 amendment was enforced amid legal challenges.

Blocked from the ballot: Montana’s push for personhood 

A Montana measure defining unborn children as persons is not on the ballot this year, despite efforts to pass it.

Despite Montana voters’ move to approve a right to abortion in 2024, lawmakers came close to approving the subsequent pro-life measure, which would have stipulated that the word “person” applies “to all members of mankind at any stage of development, beginning at the stage of fertilization or conception, regardless of age, health, level of functioning, or condition of dependency.”

The amendment would have required that “no cause of action may arise as a consequence of harm caused to an unborn baby by an unintentional act of its mother.”

The measure narrowly failed to pass in both the Montana House of Representatives and the state Senate in early 2025, receiving just less than the two-thirds majority needed for a measure to be added to the Montana ballot.

Credit: OlegRi/Shutterstock

Jan 22, 2026 / 18:00 pm (CNA).

As thousands gather for the March for Life — the largest annual pro-life event in the U.S. — supporters at home can “march” by sharing the pro-life message on social media.

The March Online for the Preborn encourages pro-lifers to post videos of an unborn baby as part of a “global statement for life,” according to a press release shared with EWTN News.

The goal? To get unborn babies trending.

“We know that thousands attend the annual March in D.C. but thousands more around the world can’t make it but still wish to make an impact,” Rachelle Mainse, a spokeswoman for the campaign, told EWTN News.

The campaign by Baby Life Begins invites social media users to post a specific video of an unborn baby in the womb.

“Every year there is a new March Online video that shares a strategic, powerful truth about the preborn that the world needs to hear,” Mainse explained.

“When pro-life advocates and organizations from around the world ‘march together,’ sharing this same video to their platforms, it’s effective in making a big statement online for life.”

“We want people to be scrolling their newsfeed and see it flooded with this same video,” she said.

The campaign is also meant to encourage people to speak up for life.

“We hope that this encourages many in their stand for life no matter where they live or what generation [they are],” said Robert Seemuth, founder and director of Baby Life Begins. “Knowing that you can be a voice for life brings encouragement; coaching how to do it shows it’s possible.”

“Part of the mission of Baby Life Begins is to equip the everyday person to be a voice for life,” Mainse said. “Being a part of the online march may be the first time someone is using their social media to be a voice for life.”

“Courage is imparted when you realize you can post to your God-given circle of friends a post about the sanctity of life that is professionally made,” Seemuth continued. “Fear is reduced when you know thousands of others are sharing the same post.”

“Pro-life work can feel lonely at times — so to feel the support of the global community is huge,” Mainse said.

“Through the internet we can march with advocates all around the world making a unified statement for life online,” Mainse said. “We have heard from people in Australia, Northern Ireland, and different parts of the States joining! Everyone can participate!”

One in 4 women have had an abortion, Mainse noted. “Chances are they have someone around them that has been affected by abortion or will face that choice,” she said.

“It is so important that everyone becomes a voice for the preborn — whether their circle of influence is thousands or just a few. Every voice matters and every person matters in the fight for life.”

“We hope this will inspire them to keep using their social media to share about the preborn,” Mainse added. “It is a powerful medium that changes hearts and lives.”

An unborn baby at 20 weeks — well within the second trimester, when dilation and evacuation abortions are commonly performed. | Credit: Steve via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Jan 22, 2026 / 17:30 pm (CNA).

A new poll released one day before the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., found that fewer than 4 in 10 Americans identify as “pro-life” rather than “pro-choice,” but more than two-thirds of Americans still support some limits on abortion.

The survey, released on Jan. 22, was conducted by The Marist Poll at Marist University and was commissioned by the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization. Pollsters surveyed 1,408 adults from Jan. 12–13.

When respondents were asked whether they identified as either “pro-life” or “pro-choice,” only 37% subscribed to the label “pro-life” and 62% called themselves “pro-choice,” with just 1% of respondents saying they are unsure.

According to the poll, 44% of Catholics identified as pro-life and 55% identified as pro-choice, but practicing Catholics were far more likely to be pro-life.

The pollsters found that 58% of Catholics who identified as practicing were pro-life, compared with 41% who said they were pro-choice. Only 31% of nonpracticing Catholics said they were pro-life, compared with 68% who said they were pro-choice.

However, the poll also found that the “pro-choice” label does not normally translate to abortion without any limits. Rather, about one-third of Americans find themselves somewhere in the middle.

According to the poll, only 32% of Americans believe that abortion should be available at any time in pregnancy, up to the moment of birth.

Meanwhile, 37% believe most abortions should be illegal, with 6% saying it should not be legal in any circumstance, 10% saying it should only be allowed to save the mother’s life, and 21% only supporting abortion when the mother’s life is at risk or when the unborn child is conceived through rape or incest.

Twenty percent of those surveyed said abortion should be legal through the first trimester and 10% said it should be legal through the second trimester. Overall, 67% want at least some limits and 57% want restrictions at least by the end of the first trimester.

The poll also found that 59% of Americans believe an in-person visit with a doctor should be required to obtain chemical abortion drugs, which federal law does not currently require. Just 40% said it should not be required.

A small majority, 54%, oppose using taxpayer money to fund abortion in the United States, while 45% support it. About 69% of adults oppose using tax money to fund abortions overseas and 29% support it.

About 63% support conscience protections for health care workers, saying they should not have to participate in an abortion if they oppose it, and 36% do not support them. About 84% said they support the work of pregnancy resource centers, which do not perform abortions, and just 15% said they oppose it.

“Despite the publicly heated debates about abortion, there remains a consensus of opinion on this issue among Americans,” Barbara L. Carvalho, the director of the Marist Poll, said in a statement.

“Americans believe abortion should be limited yet include exceptions for rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother,” she said. “Despite the changes in practice that have occurred since the Supreme Court’s landmark Dobbs decision, public opinion has remained consistent.”

Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly said in a statement that the poll shows “a majority of Americans support legal restrictions on abortion” and “a growing majority support pregnancy resource centers, which provide assistance to mothers and their children in their time of greatest need.”

“The Knights have supported vulnerable women and their children since our founding by Blessed Michael McGivney more than 140 years ago, and our commitment has never wavered. And now, we’re guided by the encouraging words of Pope Leo XIV, who recently mentioned in his ‘State of the World’ address, ‘life is a priceless gift’ and that, as Catholics, we have a ‘fundamental ethical imperative’ to ‘welcome and fully care for unborn life,’” he said. “The Knights of Columbus’ mission will continue to be guided by these principles until abortion becomes unthinkable.”

Pro-lifers hold their signs at the March for Life on Jan. 23, 2026. | Credit: Tessa Gervasini/EWTN News

Jan 22, 2026 / 17:00 pm (CNA).

Thousands of pro-lifers are gathering in Washington, D.C., for the 53rd annual March for Life. Follow here for live updates on the march.

• Thousands are gathering for the 53rd National March for Life in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Jan. 23. Vice President JD Vance says: “Take heart of how far we’ve come but don’t lose sight of why we march. ”

Pope Leo XIV addresses ambassadors and other diplomatic representatives to the Holy See in the Apostolic Palace on Jan. 9, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

Jan 22, 2026 / 17:00 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV addressed the 2026 March for Life on Jan. 22, sending participants “warm greetings” and urging them to bring about a society that “safeguards the sanctity of human life.”

The Holy Father’s message was published ahead of the March for Life being held in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 23. This is set to be the 53rd year the annual pro-life observance has drawn hundreds of thousands of people to the nation’s capital.

Stressing that the protection of the right to life “constitutes the indispensable foundation of every other human right,” Leo said that society “is healthy and truly progresses only when it safeguards the sanctity of human life and works actively to promote it.”

“In this regard,” Leo continued, “I would encourage you, especially the young people, to continue striving to ensure that life is respected in all of its stages through appropriate efforts at every level of society, including dialogue with civil and political leaders.”

The pope prayed that Jesus would “accompany you ... as you courageously and peacefully march on behalf of unborn children.” Such advocacy, the pope said, is “fulfilling the Lord’s command to serve him in the least of our brothers and sisters.”

The pope extended an apostolic blessing to the march, saying he entrusted the advocates “to the intercession of Mary Immaculate,” the patron saint of the U.S.

The first pope from the United States of America, Pope Leo XIV — then Robert Prevost — was reportedly a marcher during at least one of the event’s earliest years.

Several other popes have addressed the U.S. March for Life in various forms such as via social media, though Leo’s message appears to be the first official letter directly from a pope and bearing his signature.

In 2023 Apostolic Nuncio to the United States Archbishop Christophe Pierre expressed Pope Francis’ gratitude for “the faithful witness shown publicly over the years by all who promote and defend the right to life of the most innocent and vulnerable members of our human family.” Pope Benedict XVI sent a similar letter in 2013.

Francis also tweeted in support of the march, as did Benedict XVI.

EWTN News’ coverage of the 2026 March for Life can be found here.

If you’re attending the March for Life, don’t forget to use #ewtnprolife on all your posts across X, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook!

Want to relive interviews and special moments from the march? Visit ewtnnews.com/watch and subscribe to youtube.com/@EWTNNews for full coverage.

Live Action President Lila Rose and Ethics and Public Policy Center President Ryan Anderson speak at a press conference on Capitol Hill on Jan. 22, 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Live Action

Jan 22, 2026 / 15:59 pm (CNA).

Live Action has sent an urgent memo to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urging him to take the chemical abortion drug mifepristone off the market after an investigative report revealed extensive noncompliance with safety regulations.

The leading pro-life organization showcased a new investigative video at a press conference on Capitol Hill Thursday morning about Planned Parenthood’s routine violations of safety regulations in its distribution of the chemical abortion drug.

The investigative video and accompanying letter show Planned Parenthood’s failure to consistently confirm the gestational age of unborn children before distributing chemical abortion pills, as well as its failure to screen for ectopic pregnancy, placing pregnant women at risk of severe hemorrhaging and even death.

“We’re here to call on the administration and the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] to remove these lethal drugs from the market,” Live Action President Lila Rose said at the press conference. “They don’t belong on our market; they don’t belong flooding the homes of American families, destroying the lives of American children and harming and sometimes killing American women.”

Chemical abortion drugs “were illegally fast-tracked under the Clinton administration,” Rose said. “There have been regulations that have been stripped away over the years, and now we are dealing with mass death on demand being sent via our postal mail system, and it must end.”

“Mifepristone, used as an abortive agent, should no longer be allowed in the United States if our FDA wants to do its job in protecting the American people and protecting American children,” she said.

Live Action’s letter, sent to Kennedy as well as FDA Commissioner Marty Makary immediately following the Capitol Hill briefing, states that about 7.5 million unborn babies have died as a result of the chemical abortion drug since its approval in 2000.

The group’s investigation found several instances of Planned Parenthood staff failing to verify gestational age or provide ultrasounds before distribution of the chemical abortion drug. The abortion giant also dispensed the pills without screening or follow-up care, and staff were also recorded in multiple instances “minimizing potential risks and treating key safeguards as optional or secondary in the provision of abortion pills.”

The Live Action letter also reveals that Planned Parenthood staff repeatedly failed to check Rh status and were caught sending abortion pills to fraudulent addresses in order to circumvent parental notice. Staff also failed to require a medical history before distributing the drugs or to provide transparent information about symptoms, downplaying the amount of bleeding that could occur when taking the drug as well as symptoms that mimic labor.

“Planned Parenthood even says that taking the abortion pill is safer for the mother than ‘carrying to term,’” the letter states.

Live Action cited research by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) in its letter, which found that “10.93% of women experienced sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious adverse event within 45 days of taking mifepristone — an adverse event rate at least 22 times higher than the ‘less than 0.5%’ rate reported in the FDA‑approved clinical trials.”

EPPC President Ryan Anderson also delivered remarks at the press conference, urging the Trump administration to review his organization’s report, stating “FDA data is decades old” and is based on clinical studies with “an ideal parent under ideal conditions.”

“Our data is from the real world,” he said.

Several members of Congress attended the briefing, including Reps. Michael Cloud, R-Texas; Mark Harris, R-North Carolina; Troy Downing, R-Montana; Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas; and Andy Biggs, R-Arizona.

Other speakers included abortion pill reversal protocol developer George Delgado and former Planned Parenthood clinic director Mayra Rodríguez.

“Today’s press conference and the release of this investigative video make clear that this issue warrants immediate and thorough review and action,” the letter stated. “Live Action requests that the Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration reevaluate the approval and current regulatory status of mifepristone, strengthen transparency and data collection, and remove this dangerous drug from the market.”