This week, I had the honor of representing you—every signer, every defender of life—on Capitol Hill.
I met directly with Senator Ted Cruz to deliver your signatures and urge him to keep the Defund Planned Parenthood clause inside the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” This bill, already passed by the House, is now under intense debate in the U.S. Senate.
While waiting for our meeting, I struck up a conversation with a woman in the receiving area. We exchanged polite greetings and I asked why she was meeting with the Senator, and then she asked why I was there. I explained our mission: to stop taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood. She respectfully told me she disagreed. Her daughter once received free care there, and she feared there would be nowhere else to turn if it were defunded.
I replied gently but firmly. I told her that while some do seek care at Planned Parenthood, so do pimps who bring underage girls, kept enslaved in sex trafficking. Planned Parenthood has protected more than health—it has protected predators. I shared that I no longer want my tax dollars—or yours—used to prop up that industry that has killed millions of babies. If federal funding is removed, perhaps the money will finally support true community clinics—places that offer real care without pushing abortion as a business model.
We did not raise our voices. We spoke plainly, with honesty. It was a reminder: this debate touches real lives. But compassion and conviction are not at odds.
Shortly afterward, I was invited back to my meeting with the Senator.
Senator Cruz received our petition and listened carefully. He thanked us for the delivery and said, “The issue of life is dear to my heart.” He was candid: he does not know whether the defunding clause will survive the final Senate version. But he gave me his word that he is doing everything in his power to keep it in.
I left the meeting not just encouraged—but resolute. Senator Cruz didn’t hedge or hesitate. He spoke as a man who knows the value of every life and understands the weight of this moment. He is not just sympathetic to the cause—he is engaged in the battle.
This isn’t the end of our effort—it’s just the beginning. I will be returning to Capitol Hill at the end of June, during the Celebrate Life Conference, to deliver a full petition presentation and apply even more pressure before the Senate vote.
As of this writing, we are just 48 signatures shy of 12,000. Our goal is 20,000 signatures before the end of the month, and we are well on our way.
CitizenGO will be back in D.C.—not alone, but alongside Students for Life, Kristan Hawkins, and other pro-life leaders—to show the Senate that America’s pro-life majority will not back down. This is a pivotal moment. We intend to make it count.
If one vote in the House can bring us to this moment, then one voice—yours—could tip the Senate.
Thank you for standing with us. We fight forward together.
