Last updated on October 1st, 2026 at 10:39 am
U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri is urging Republican lawmakers and political candidates to sign a new “Declaration for Life,” which calls for legal protections for unborn children and federal action against mail-order abortion pills.
Hawley introduced the pro-life Declaration for Life in Washington alongside Christian pastors who helped draft the document. The initiative coincides with America’s 250th anniversary and focuses heavily on the growing use of the abortion drug mifepristone.
“This is a Declaration for Life calling on the country to once again embrace a culture of life,” Hawley said, adding that ending widespread access to abortion drugs should be a central priority.
The declaration argues that state abortion restrictions are being undermined by abortion pills shipped through the mail. It calls on Congress to adopt a national response and ban mail-order abortion drugs.
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins joined Hawley at the event and said the Republican Party has “lost its voice” on abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Hawley similarly criticized Congress for failing to pursue additional federal abortion restrictions following the Dobbs decision. He called on candidates from both parties to sign the declaration and publicly state their commitment to protecting unborn life in law.
The initiative also comes after the Republican Party revised its national platform in 2024, removing previous language supporting a federal constitutional amendment protecting unborn children.
The Declaration for Life now seeks to make abortion—and particularly the rapid expansion of chemical abortion through mifepristone—a renewed focus of the national political debate.