The Hyde Amendment was the conscience line, until “flexibility” entered the conversation. Peter Vazquez and Kelsey Pritchard of Susan B. Anthony Pro Life America trace how abortion rose post Dobbs through pills and mail order, and why shifting Hyde trades clarity for deals. When moral lines blur, trust fractures, and taxpayers get drafted into someone else’s choice.
A nation celebrates “choice” while the numbers climb, and the fight shifts from courtrooms to mailboxes. Peter Vazquez sits with Kelsey Pritchard, Communications Director for Susan B. Anthony Pro Life America, to trace the post Dobbs terrain: abortion drugs, telehealth shields, and a culture bold enough to call babies “excess births.”
Then a tremor hits the coalition, President Trump says Hyde needs “flexibility.” Hyde was the conscience line, the firewall that kept taxpayers from funding elective abortions. When leaders soften moral boundaries to cut deals, trust fractures, narratives rush in, and the Vanbōōlzalness Crisis grows teeth. Prayer, action, and support for women become the next steps.
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The Next Steps Show
Host: Peter Vazquez
Guest: Kelsey Pritchard, Communications Director, Susan B. Anthony Pro Life America
Peter Vazquez:
The culture is shaped by what leaders say and what they do. Even when you respect someone, you must trust and verify. I am pro life from conception to natural death, and I believe the Hyde Amendment matters because it drew a line that protected the conscience of Americans who disagree on abortion. Recently, President Trump made comments that raised concern, so I invited Kelsey Pritchard to help examine what it means and what is at stake.
Kelsey Pritchard:
Susan B. Anthony Pro Life America focuses on saving lives and serving women. Susan B. Anthony’s own words describe abortion as a tragedy for both the child and the woman.
After Dobbs in 2022, many assumed abortion would decrease, but abortions have risen. The abortion industry adapted by expanding abortion drugs and mail order access. The fight did not end with Dobbs. It intensified.
Our organization engages elections and lobbying at the national and state levels. We plan major investment to retain pro life majorities. Much of this fight is narrative warfare. We must communicate that the unborn child is a child, and that women deserve compassion and real support.
We began by helping elect pro life women, but we now support any strong pro life candidate. We also run the largest pro life canvassing operation in the country, knocking doors and speaking with voters face to face.
Peter Vazquez:
Explain the Hyde Amendment and why it matters.
Kelsey Pritchard:
The Hyde Amendment has been in place for over fifty years. It has saved an estimated 2.6 million lives. It prevents taxpayer dollars from funding elective abortions. It does not ban abortion and it does not criminalize abortion. It protects conscience.
Hyde must be attached to federal laws and programs. A major issue is that Obamacare has been used to sidestep Hyde through subsidies and insurance coverage that can include abortion. Democrats continue trying to weaken Hyde, and it is alarming when any Republicans adopt that posture instead of holding the line.
Most Americans still support the idea that taxpayers should not be forced to fund elective abortions. Hyde has long functioned as a compromise position, a moral and fiscal firewall.
Peter Vazquez:
Abortion is often framed as a religious issue, but it is also political. How do you see it?
Kelsey Pritchard:
It is both. The government exists to protect life, and the core dispute is whether the unborn child is a life. Science and technology make it harder to deny. Unborn children have unique DNA at conception. Heartbeat begins early. Development is observable in ultrasound imaging. Yet culture and politics keep pushing the claim that the child is not a child.
Peter Vazquez:
President Trump previously affirmed policy consistent with Hyde, but then said the Hyde Amendment needs “flexibility.” That change destabilizes trust.
Kelsey Pritchard:
It is concerning and it triggered swift backlash. The pro life movement does not believe Hyde should be flexible. The most common interpretation is that the administration wants to get a healthcare deal done and is considering leaving Hyde out of Obamacare related negotiations. That would keep the status quo and abandon a long held Republican position.
Ambiguity fractures coalitions. Attempts to walk it back without reversing it leave voters wondering what the administration truly intends. Hyde is not a small request. It is a basic red line. Weakening it is not aligned with the majority view and could hurt turnout, especially in midterms.
A small shift in pro life voter turnout can decide elections. If even a small percentage of pro life voters stay home, outcomes change dramatically.
Peter Vazquez:
We also discussed abortion’s demographic impact and the way some states avoid reporting data. We challenged rhetoric that frames rising fertility as “excess births.” Life is not excess. Every child has purpose.
Kelsey Pritchard:
States vary in reporting and some publish little data, which makes the scale harder to measure. The cultural framing that treats children as burdens is upside down. Children are a gift. I am a mother, with another child due soon, and our lives are richer because of our children.
Peter Vazquez:
Give listeners next steps.
Kelsey Pritchard:
Pray and ask God how you should engage. Get involved in elections, call your officials, and help keep them accountable. Support women facing unplanned pregnancies through pregnancy centers and personal involvement. Learn more at sbaprolife.org.
Peter Vazquez:
The Hyde Amendment was a line drawn to protect conscience. Leadership requires verification. Stay engaged, stand for life, and be a voice for liberty.
Communications Director
Kelsey Pritchard is the Communications Director at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America (SBA Pro-Life), a leading national anti-abortion organization. Formerly the Director of State Public Affairs, she leads strategic communications, advocates against state-level abortion amendments, and pushes to defund Planned Parenthood.
Her key roles and actions include:
- State-Level Strategy: Spearheading efforts against state constitutional amendments protecting abortion, urging pro-life engagement in battleground states.
- Media & Communications: Serving as a spokesperson, frequently providing commentary on pro-life legislation, the "post-Dobbs" legal landscape, and political campaigns.
- Advocacy & Public Affairs: Working on lobbying efforts to restrict federal funding for abortion and criticizing the Democratic Party's stance on abortion.
Pritchard joined the organization's growing state affairs team in 2023, bringing her expertise to advance pro-life initiatives across the nation.