After almost five decades of struggle, culminating in the Dobbs victory, pro-life members of Congress should be emboldened to act and save countless lives. This is no time to relent. It is essential that they go on offense, and they must not let their confidence be shaken by the firestorm of pro-abortion fear and lies.

One of these lies is that abortion will immediately be banned nationwide if pro-life Republicans win majorities in the House and Senate. The pro-life movement does seek to make abortion illegal and unthinkable, but consensus won’t be built overnight without any regard for what the will of the people can sustain. Another fear opponents are spreading is that there will be no exceptions — not even to save the life of the mother, which every state law in effect contains and the pro-life movement at large supports.

Some of these lies play into a widespread misunderstanding on the Right that Roe’s reversal has “sent the abortion issue back to the states.” That is not accurate. As Justice Alito’s majority opinion made clear, policy will be decided by the people, speaking through their elected representatives, rather than unelected judges. While states are important, that necessarily includes Congress, the nation’s legislative body, as well as a future pro-life president.