Monday marked the 45th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion in 1973. But almost 50 years later, getting access to abortion has become increasingly difficult for American women who live in states that don’t support the practice.The recent surge in abortion restrictions can largely be attributed to the non-profit organization Americans United for Life. The AUL calls itself the legal arm of the pro-life movement, and for good reason. Today marks the release of the 13th edition of their “Defending Life” playbook — a collection of pre-written, anti-abortion laws the group gives to state legislators. Since 2011, the AUL has been responsible for about a hundred pro-life bills that eventually became law.VICE News sat down with Catherine Glenn Foster, AUL president and CEO, to talk about why the group has had so much success over the last decade.
This segment originally aired January 22, 2018 on VICE News Tonight on HBO.