As pro-lifers, we love seeing new babies enter the world. We have fought against the evils of abortion for decades and have come alongside expectant mothers who have chosen life. Our passion does not stop at the pregnancy or after the baby is born, however. The mother and baby’s quality of life from womb to tomb matters greatly. This is why we are sounding the alarm on surrogacy. Time and time again, surrogacy has allowed women to be used as tools and the babies are used as pawns for power. Just like the abortion industry, surrogacy is coercive and leaves long-term ill effects for mother and baby.
An Alaskan single mother and nurse, McKenna West, decided to become a surrogate after a conversation she had with a friend who had a positive experience. She, like many others, believed that this would bring in extra income while helping a family who would not be able to have a baby on their own. After completing several medical tests, a couple from Los Angeles chose West to be their surrogate and an embryo transfer took place. However, at 20-weeks pregnant, West received news from her doctor that the baby had hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare condition in which the left side of the heart is too small to pump enough blood to the rest of the body. The intended parents then had a conversation with West, urging her to abort the baby because of his heart defect, which can be treated with surgery.
West did not want to go through with the abortion, but her contract with the surrogacy agency and the couple stipulated that the intended parents could force an abortion. An abortion was scheduled in Seattle, Washington at the time she was 24 weeks pregnant. After receiving a life-saving call from her brother begging her not to get the abortion, she reached out to a friend who connected her with Live Action’s founder Lila Rose. Live Action has been helping her navigate this complex scenario, even funding her trip to Texas to obtain care for her pregnancy and baby and securing legal help through Alliance Defending Freedom. She stated:
I feel like this object. They feel that because they paid me, they have these rights to my autonomy.
On August 12, West gave birth to a baby boy whom she named Gabriel. A judge granted the intended parents a restraining order against West to keep her away from the baby and ruled that the baby must be called Rumi. Earlier this week, he underwent surgery to correct his heart condition. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ensured the baby would receive the care he needs without interference from individuals or organizations who did not want him to live. Currently, he is in critical condition.
West’s case highlights the dehumanization of women and children that surrogacy entails. Surrogacy treats women as incubators and children as commodities. Women are selling their bodies in intimate ways for profit, allowing strangers and companies full decision-making capabilities. Ironically, the Left’s mantra “my body, my choice” is completely absent in surrogacy.
In addition to domestic surrogacy in the United States, foreign actors are using American women to have their children. Chinese billionaire Xu Bo has more than 100 children born to surrogates in the United States and is seeking to have more. Online, he claims he wants “50 high-quality sons” and 20 U.S. born children to inherit his gaming business. He sees his “children” as future employees who will give him access to the U.S.
This sickening trend is growing rapidly. The website Expecting.Ai just launched the world’s largest database available in Chinese. Access to surrogates around the world is as easy as a click of a button now. But the other side of this is even worse — men have full access to these women’s bodies around the world. This is a major humanitarian and national security issue.
Several bills have been introduced in Congress to address the problems with surrogacy. Representative Scott Perry (R-PA) has been a champion on this issue and has introduced two bills to address this crisis. The Protecting Kids from Creeps Act (H.R. 9131) prohibits agencies from forming surrogacy contracts with sex offenders and the Preventing International Surrogacy Exploitation Act (H.R. 9132) prohibits foreign nationals from entering surrogacy contracts with women in the United States. Rep. Perry stated in a press release:
With regard to the international commercial surrogacy process — or “birth tourism” — it’s being exploited by wealthy foreigners who get the benefits of children who later provide dual citizenship for the foreign parent. The fact that a foreign national can just order babies from the U.S. — 200 in one case from China — and just drive somewhere to pick up their unseen, unknown child like a cheeseburger is ethically and morally outrageous, and it’s also imperiling our National security. This is child exploitation at minimum, slavery and child trafficking at worst, and a means by which our adversaries can gain future access to our Country. There’s a reason so many other countries ban “birth tourism” — ironically, China is one of them. It’s ludicrous that nothing’s been done here to stop this thus far.
Similarly, Senator Rick Scott’s (R-FL) SAFE Kids Act (S. 3101) prohibits foreigners from adversarial countries from entering surrogacy contracts in the United States. Currently, surrogacy loopholes allow intended parents from overseas to have a baby via surrogate on U.S. soil, thereby allowing that baby to receive birthright citizenship. Once that child is an adult, they can sponsor family members and bring them to the United States. Sen. Scott’s bill will prevent this type of exploitation of birthright citizenship.
We will be addressing this topic at our annual conference in Nashville, Tennessee, from September 24-26. Eagle Council 54 will feature Children’s Rights Advocate Katy Faust, who will discuss why surrogacy and IVF are not pro-life or pro-child. You won’t want to miss her and other dynamic speakers on topics that families are facing at this moment. To learn more and register for Eagle Council, visit our website here. Don’t delay! The last day to book a hotel room with our group rate is Thursday, September 3rd. Deep discounts and scholarships are available for students.
