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Today’s Supreme Court decision in Medina isn’t just about Medicaid or Planned Parenthood. It’s about whether Americans c...
06/27/2025

Today’s Supreme Court decision in Medina isn’t just about Medicaid or Planned Parenthood. It’s about whether Americans can enforce the rights they’ve been promised under federal law.

As one of the few attorneys in America who has litigated this precise issue, I can say this ruling is deeply troubling. The Court has now said that Medicaid recipients have no right to sue when states deny them lawful access to qualified providers that the states themselves license and inspect, even when federal law says they have the right to choose. That’s not just bad law. It’s a dangerous precedent for the millions of Americans who rely on federal programs and expect their rights to mean something.

While some may celebrate this ruling as a blow to Planned Parenthood, the real, hidden impact is much broader. At its core, this case was never truly about defunding abortion providers. It was about whether individual Americans can push back when the state takes away their rights — and specifically in this case, when politics dictate their choice of doctor and their healthcare options. Today the Court said they can’t fight for those rights, that state power takes precedent over individual rights. This decision will impact many millions of men and women nationwide who will never even set foot in a Planned Parenthood.

For nearly twenty years, I have opposed taxpayer funding for abortion and advocated for exclusively life-affirming alternatives. But undermining the ability of individuals to enforce their rights under federal law is not a pro-life victory. It’s a setback for justice, for the rule of law, and for all who believe that rights should come with remedies—on both sides of the aisle.

Under the Court’s new Medina framework, in a shift from its previous jurisprudence, any state can change any provision under any administration, pro-life or pro-choice, and no patient will have the right to choose their provider, or to stand for Medicaid patients generally. For example, New York could say that no Medicaid patient can go to a doctor who doesn’t also perform abortions. We all lose under this regime.

This is bigger than partisanship. If today’s ruling empowers states to violate federal protections without consequence, then it weakens the very framework that holds our nation accountable. It’s about state power over individual rights and freedoms, and that’s a loss for all Americans.

Statement from First Rights Global President & CEO Catherine Glenn Foster, M.A., J.D., on Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic

Etienne-Émile Baulieu, the father of the abortion pill RU-486, died today at the age of 97.Baulieu didn’t see himself as...
05/30/2025

Etienne-Émile Baulieu, the father of the abortion pill RU-486, died today at the age of 97.

Baulieu didn’t see himself as an advocate for abortion—he saw himself as a scientist on a mission. In his own words, he “rescued RU-486 from oblivion,” determined to develop a chemical solution to pregnancy, believing it would liberate women.

But while science always has the power to change the world, the deeper question is: in what direction?

The increased efficacy of RU-486 didn’t solve a crisis—it privatized it. It told women: You’re on your own.

Baulieu’s death closes a chapter in biomedical history. But more than that, it reminds us to continue asking ourselves how the world is treating human life at its most vulnerable, and if our biomedical choices are ones we can live with.

On this Memorial Day, we honor the men and women who gave their lives in defense of freedom—not just freedom as a slogan...
05/26/2025

On this Memorial Day, we honor the men and women who gave their lives in defense of freedom—not just freedom as a slogan, but as a sacred, embodied truth: that every human life carries inherent dignity, and that some are willing to lay down their own to protect the rights of others.

At First Rights Global, we believe that the right to life is not negotiable. It’s foundational. And on this day of remembrance, we pause to grieve the loss, give thanks for the sacrifice, and rededicate ourselves to the cause of human liberty—from the first heartbeat to the final breath.

Freedom is never free. Let us prove ourselves worthy of those who paid the price.

In memory. In gratitude. In purpose.

03/27/2025

SC is at the center of the national debate on the death penalty. Four men have been executed by the state since September 2024 — 3 by leathal injection, 1 by firing squad. Jeffrey Collins, a seasoned reporter for the AP, has witnessed 11 ex*****ons firsthand. Here's his experience.

03/26/2025

On Tuesday, the SC Senate gave second reading to S.235, which would increase penalties for human s*x trafficking solictation (the buyer) and procurement (the pimp) from a $200 misdemeanor to an up-to-$1000/5-year felony.

03/26/2025

SC executed 67-year-old death row inmate Brad Sigmon. The Rev. Hillary Taylor, Executive Director of South Carolinians For Alternatives To The Death Penalty and one of Sigmon's spiritual advisors, tells about the person Brad Sigmon.

03/12/2025

Catherine Glenn Foster was the featured keynote speaker at the Spring 2025 40 Days for Life rally in front of the Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, DC.

Planned Parenthood does not build. Planned Parenthood does not ask about the issues in a woman’s life behind the “issue.” They don’t invest in life. They end it.

Planned Parenthood can no longer set the terms of the Life debate.
What is the Pro-Life community building? We cannot just oppose something. We must create.

It’s time for the Pro-LIfe community to define the future. We must build a different one — where women don’t walk alone, where life is not just protected but supported, where the movement is known not just for what it fights against, but for what it fights for.

It’s not enough to be against abortion anymore. We have to be for Life — for every aspect of Life.

On Tuesday, the SC Senate Judiciary Committee voted favorably on S.235, which elevates the penalty for purchasing s*x fr...
03/12/2025

On Tuesday, the SC Senate Judiciary Committee voted favorably on S.235, which elevates the penalty for purchasing s*x from a misdemeanor to a felony, punishable by up to five years in jail and a $1,000 fine. In 2024, NC a passed a similar law. Lawmakers are pushing forward on this bill to stop the flow of human trafficking and protect those who are victims of this organized and highly profitable criminal enterprise. https://firstrightsglobal.org/fighting-the-business-of-exploitation-to-shut-down-human-trafficking-at-its-core/

03/10/2025

On Friday, the State of SC executed 67 year-old Brad Sigmon by firing squad — only the 4th such ex*****on in modern history. The SC Dept of Corrections doesn’t allow prisoner interviews, but dozens of people provide spiritual guidance to the people on Death Row who develop real relationships with them. This week, Catherine Glenn Foster spoke with the Rev. Hillary Taylor of South Carolinians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty about the man Brad Sigmon and his faith journey on Death Row.

03/10/2025

In this press conference the morning before SC executed Death Row inmate Brad Sigmon, First Rights Global President & CEO Catherine Glenn Foster speaks at a press conference calling for the end to the death penalty in the state. In it, she talks about the rehabilitative nature of incarceration and how Brad Sigmon should be given the chance to live and not die at the hands of a firing squad in the Palmetto State.

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