Jim Lein, Minot

When it comes to reducing the rate of abortions, the evidence shows that governmental nutrition, health and financial supports for pregnant women, birthing women, nursing women, and working mothers significantly reduces the rate of abortion.

The legality or illegality of abortion makes little or no difference. There are countries where it is legal that have lower rates than countries where it is illegal.

Our nation is way behind the curve when it comes to supporting women who are pregnant, giving birth, nursing their babies and working after giving birth.

And with the current Republican administration and congress, we are poised to move further behind, enacting cruel changes, putting capitalistic goals ahead of pregnant women, babies and nursing mothers.

Our president has come out strongly in favor of companies that make infant formula and against nursing mothers, ignoring many years of scientific evidence that nursing is healthier for babies and should be considered as a first option.

His representatives even threatened economic sanctions against countries that were for a resolution stressing the health values of breast-feeding at a recent meeting of the United Nations-affiliated World Health Assembly.

Such anti-breast-feeding actions again bring to mind the old Cheers episode where the guys passed around a Playboy centerfold and then were shocked and disgusted when Carla nursed her baby.

Republicans, including Kevin Cramer, are worse than those TV guys. The GOP is unfeeling and inhumane on this issue, meekly following the example of their former-playboy president rather than standing up to him.

Democrats, including Heidi Heitkamp, are for providing the support necessary to help women feel able to bring new life into a world where economic concerns are increasingly crowding out maternal concerns.

Pro-choice is not pro-abortion. It is a more effective way of reducing the abortion rate than the current GOP self-called pro-life approach that is bent on eliminating government nutrition and health and financial programs for women, their unborn and their babies–and is more concerned about profits of infant formula corporations than about the health of mothers and babies.