{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://guest.house.gov/media/press-releases/guest-joins-letter-rebuking-hhs-pro-abortion-task-force", "Guest Joins Letter Rebuking HHS Pro-Abortion Task Force", "2022-03-15", "2022", "2022-03", "Republican", "House", "MS", "Michael Guest", "G000591", "guest.house.gov", "guest", "https://guest.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Michael Guest (R-MS) has joined 52 House Republicans in a letter led by Rep. Earl L. \u201cBuddy\u201d Carter (R-GA) to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Xavier Becerra expressing concern on a pro-abortion task force established by HHS.\n\n\u201cOn the 49th anniversary of the Supreme Court\u2019s Roe v. Wade decision, your Department announced the formation of a new Task Force that has labeled terminating the lives of unborn children to be \u201cessential sexual and reproductive health care,\u201d the Members write.\n\nThe authors argue that the efforts to advance the use of abortions could be better directed toward supporting women and children.\n\n\u201cWe adamantly disagree with your premise \u2013 abortion is not health care,\u201d the Members continue in the letter. \u201cAbortion robs a person of health and life itself. Since 1973, 63 million innocent lives have been lost to abortion. Women deserve better than abortion. They deserve the support they need to care for their babies and themselves.\u201d\n\nThe Members also argue that the actions of the pro-abortion task force would be a misuse of taxpayer dollars.\n\n\u201cThe taxpayer dollars that fund HHS should be focused on promoting the highest quality of health information and care to all individuals, both born and unborn. They should not be used to promote a pro-abortion agenda in a shameless attempt to override the pro-life legislation that is being promoted in the states and defended in countries around the world,\u201d the Members summarize.\n\nThe letter closes with requests for answers on seven questions along with organizing documents of the task force in order to provide transparency to the American people on the purpose of the task force. The questions are:\n\nWill HHS commit to following and enforcing all federal laws in the operation of this Task Force?\n\nDoes the Task Force intend to use federal funds to advocate against state laws that regulate abortion?\n\nWhat did Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs Loyce Pace mean by her statement: \"Advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights is central to our core global health goals\u201d?\n\nWhat funds will be used to set up and operate this Task Force?\n\nWhat offices at HHS will be invited to be a part of the Task Force?\n\nPlease provide a list of all \u201csenior-level HHS officials\u201d who have been assigned to this Task Force.\n\nWill the Task Force be both an intra-agency task force, as well as a coordinating unit for a similar inter-agency effort? If not, will all agencies set up similar task forces?\n\nPlease send the organizing documents stating the purpose, breadth, and measures for success for the Task Force\n\nYou can find the full text of the letter by clicking here.\n\nCongressman Michael Guest represents Mississippi's Third Congressional District. Currently serving his second term, Congressman Guest serves as the Vice Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, as a Member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and as a Member of the Committee on Ethics.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:06:17Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://guest.house.gov/media/press-releases/guest-joins-letter-rebuking-hhs-pro-abortion-task-force"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.908676164224744, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}