One Country Project

Good afternoon,

In Saturday's South Carolina primary, former president Donald Trump beat Nikki Haley in her own state. We're not shocked, just disappointed. Here's what those results mean: of the 50 delegates at stake in the race, three are awarded to the winner of each of the state's seven congressional districts. The remaining 29 go to the winner of the statewide vote. Haley, who won only one district, gained only three delegates, while Trump received the other 47.

Michigan's Republican Party allocates its 55 delegates in a less straightforward manner. Today's primary will determine how 16 delegates are awarded. The rest will be decided on Saturday at a state party convention – if the GOP can determine which of two state conventions counts. Former state party chair and election-denier Kristina Karamo was removed by the Republican National Committee and replaced by former Representative Pete Hoekstra, but that hasn't stopped Karamo from scheduling her own convention in Detroit to conflict with Hoekstra's Grand Rapids one.

In a continuation of the disorder the Grand Old Party is becoming notorious for, Michigan might send two sets of delegates to the Republican National Convention this July. For an organization dedicated to winning elections, these divisions and disarray are distracting from accomplishing that goal – but at least it makes for great entertainment! Keep your popcorn handy.

Here's what else is happening around the nation...

A MASSIVE WRENCH IN ALABAMA FAMILIES' PLANS

Unfortunately, the GOP's troubles are bleeding into uncertainty for everyday Americans. The internal turmoil between moderate and extreme conservatives has repeatedly balanced in favor of the far-right, allowing harmful policies to prevail.

A year and a half later, the Dobbs decision to overturn Roe v. Wade continues to have devastating consequences for Americans throughout the country. Citing anti-abortion language, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) are children, and that destruction of embryos (which naturally happens frequently, both in and outside a uterus) counts as wrongful death.

This narrow ruling has far-reaching implications: already, the legal liability looming over IVF facilities has compelled three Alabama providers to halt services – leaving couples who want children in the lurch.

Republicans throughout the country have been mired in confusion about how to respond, given IVF's popularity and publicized use by prominent figures such as Mike Pence. Even Trump felt the need to declare his support for IVF. It's impossible to just fall in line if the line is too blurred to make out.

Alabama House Minority Leader and OCP board member emeritus Anthony Daniels has introduced legislation that would help protect IVF services. But regardless of whether that bill manages to make it through the Republican supermajority-dominated legislature, one message has been clear: Republicans' have ceded too much to their extreme right flank.

This turn to the right has turned them too far around – the party of restricted government is overreaching into women's lives, taking away their right to plan their own families and their freedom to make their own health care choices. Women and young girls who don't want to be pregnant are forced to carry their pregnancies to term, and couples who are willing to undergo months of costly treatment to have a child are restricted from doing so.

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WILL THE THIRD GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN BE THE CHARM?

If that wasn't evidence enough that Republicans aren't actually concerned about women and families, then let's take a look at a program essential for new and expecting mothers and their children: the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) will begin to run out of money if Congress doesn't provide more funding.

WIC provides nutrition assistance to 6.7 million women and children, a number that is growing as more American families struggle with grocery costs. Despite having proven benefits for everything from children's nutrition to medical care to school performance, House Republicans have proposed cutting funding for the program or contentiously tying it to other food assistance restrictions.

The Republicans caucus' chaos has brought the government within spitting distance of a government shutdown twice – and the previous two stopgap measures to fund the government failed to provide the necessary additional funding for WIC. The third continuing resolution to fund the government expires on March 1, at the end of this week – the very start of National Nutrition Month.

Without an additional $1 billion in funding, the program would be forced to put new eligible participants on waitlists for the first time since the 1990s, and could cut aid to about 2 million low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and young children – disproportionately impacting Black and Hispanic families.

Republicans claim to be pro-child and pro-family, but they have consistently revealed that they prioritize political infighting over Americans' lives.

We need Congress to keep the government running – and ensure that critical programs bolstering nutrition continue to be funded so that everyone has the opportunity to live a happy and healthy life. Luckily, 2024 is a leap year. Hopefully lawmakers will not follow the edict that nothing that happens on Leap Day counts, and instead use this extra workday to enact meaningful change for hardworking Americans.

LOOKING AHEAD

Funding for the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, and Housing and Urban Development, as well as the Food and Drug Administration and Military Construction expires on Friday. The eight other appropriations bills will expire on March 8.

President Joe Biden will be giving his State of the Union address on Thursday, March 7.