President-elect Donald Trump announced on Nov. 14 that he had selected Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the next head of the Department of Health and Human Services. Given Kennedy’s history of supporting abortion, this nomination should concern pro-life advocates, argues Joe Carter, a senior writer for the Gospel Coalition.

The stakes are high: “The nomination is a signal that the GOP has fully shifted from the pro-life party to one that’s unapologetically pro-choice. And Kennedy’s confirmation to the position would be a political inflection point for the pro-life movement.”

Carter criticizes the “deafening” silence of pro-life groups on Kennedy’s nomination, writing:

 “For decades, the pro-life movement was accused of caring less about abortion than about ensuring Republican politicians were elected. Like many pro-life advocates, I considered it an absurd slander against these honorable nonpartisan organizations (full disclosure: I’ve done work for AUL, ERLC, FRC, and SBA). Yet it’s becoming harder to defend the actions of groups when they seem to oppose abortion only when it’s promoted by Democrats.

“These national pro-life organizations are likely feeling the same pressure as other socially conservative organizations to not criticize Trump. It’s especially difficult for pro-life groups when it might be board members and donors putting pressure on them to remain silent. But if these organizations won’t consistently defend the unborn regardless of which party is in power, why should they even exist?”

Read the rest of the article at the Gospel Coalition here.