President Trump recently pledged his administration’s commitment to the “infinite worth and God-given dignity of every human life,” with Vice President JD Vance echoing that principle by declaring, “We must build up that culture of life” and “cannot be neutral.” Yet these promises are being undermined by key officials within the Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA has recently implemented policies that deliberately make it more difficult for children—both inside and outside the womb—to live the lives they deserve. Thousands of children with rare diseases have seen critical treatments slowed or halted since last summer, directly attributable to FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and Chief Medical Officer Vinay Prasad.
Melissa Ortiz, founder of Capability Consulting and former commissioner of the Administration on Disability during the first Trump administration, witnessed firsthand how these policies impact vulnerable populations. As one of the oldest living Americans with spina bifida, Ortiz understands the urgency for children with rare conditions to access life-extending treatments. She has raised alarms about recent decisions by Makary, Prasad, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who have collectively weakened protections for children’s lives.
Last October, the FDA approved a cheaper version of mifepristone—a widely used abortion drug—allowing women to obtain abortions via mail without medical supervision. The Guttmacher Institute reports over 640,000 chemical abortions occurred in 2023 alone. Ortiz emphasizes that this policy poses particular risks for women with limited mobility: abortion drugs cause blood clots, which can be fatal for those who use wheelchairs or rely on assistive devices.
Prasad’s actions further endanger children with rare diseases. Since his appointment in mid-2025, he has delayed approvals for treatments critical to conditions like Sanfilippo syndrome and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In 2018, Prasad opposed the Trump administration’s “right to try” initiative—which enabled hundreds of patients to access experimental therapies—directly hindering progress for those in need.
Ortiz stresses that HHS and FDA appointees must defend life rather than undermine it. The pro-life principles championed by President Trump and Vice President Vance require consistent action across the administration, yet current policies threaten to erode the very foundations of their pledge.
