Pregnancy Centers Targeted by Biden’s New Anti-mother Rule—Poor Women Harmed

For Immediate Release: January 16, 2023

On the lead up to January 22, the anniversary of the contentious Supreme Court case legalizing abortion (Roe v Wade), members of both the Senate and House are decrying the Biden Administration’s proposed new rule which bans pro-life pregnancy centers from receiving federal funding through the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program to be given to pregnant women in need. Currently, TANF funds delivered to moms in need through pro-life pregnancy centers totals as little as $1M per year nationally. Funding distribution is at the discretion of state governments. Thus, in blue states like NY and CA, pro-life pregnancy centers never received access to these funds. However, Biden’s new rule would eliminate all state discretion, outlawing distribution of any monies to the pro-life non-profits. Combating the discriminatory rule, members of both the Senate and House, including Rep. Claudia Tenney (NY-24) and Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) introduced Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act. Medical ethicist and CEO of NY based pro-life medical network, Rev. Jim Harden says, “Every pro-life American needs to contact their member of Congress, encouraging them to co-sponsor and vote for H.R. 6918.”

The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Jason Smith (MO-08), applauded the pro-life bill saying, “The Biden Administration’s [anti-mother] rule could deny women resources like diapers and prenatal care needed for a safe and healthy pregnancy. Not only will it harm pregnant women…the proposed rule violates the law…. [denying] flexibility for states to address the unique needs of their populations….”

Compared to the $1M in TANF funds pro-life groups might receive, global abortion giant Planned Parenthood, perpetrating 40% of all U.S. abortions, is treated like a de facto government agency, receiving over $1.8 billion in federal funding over three years, including $148M from the Department of Health and Human Services. Rev. Harden says, “Abortion is not healthcare. Abortion harms women,” citing a 44% increase in the risk of breast cancer, 52% increased the risk of future preterm deliveries, and a 5X increase the risk of suicide. “Furthermore, even if abortion were morally neutral, it is making abortionists rich,” says Rev. Harden.

Rev. Harden pondered, “If abortionists’ serial malpractice were not enough, another exposé released a few days ago demonstrates that Planned Parenthood is willing to conspire to violate state and federal laws. Instead of bringing the axe down on pro-lifers, the DOJ should be investigating the abortion empire for potential sex crime cover-ups in violation of the Mann Act—illegally transporting women across state lines. Investigations should also be conducted into conspiracy to violate the federal Comstock Act for illicit sale and shipment of dangerous chemical abortion drugs. State Departments of Health and Attorneys General must investigate abortionists for fraud and the injury and death of women.

Rev. Harden says of pro-life pregnancy centers, “Unlike abortionists, we don’t commit fraud, inflict injury resulting in hospitalization, or send women to the morgue. A recent report reveals that during 2021—at the height of the physical, legal, and legislative attacks against pro-life pregnancy centers, including firebombings—together, pro-life pregnancy resource and medical centers provided 2 million moms and families with $358M worth of free support.”

This latest move by Biden’s HHS fits a pattern of attack on the abortion industry’s only competition, pro-life pregnancy centers. Those conspiring to attack are both elected officials and their appointees. Biden himself issued an executive order to the DOJ to investigate pregnancy centers. After over 310 attacks on pro-life entities, unsurprisingly, instead of investigating actual domestic terror attacks, the FBI sought to investigate pregnancy centers, according to 1050 pages of FBI whistleblower testimony.

Celebrating the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act, Rev. Harden says, “This bill will provide resources to protect women from the abortion industry’s fraud and injury. Because all people are made in the image of God, we are equally valuable, born and preborn, mom and baby alike. Pro-life pregnancy centers demonstrate this truth in action. And while organized crime targeting pro-life people is bad enough, what is worse is the ongoing crime against humanity called abortion.”

Rev. Harden suggested Congressional next steps to protect moms and babies from abortion fraud and injury:

• Suspend all federal funding to abortion companies until a thorough investigation can be conducted into all who participate in the abortion industry from physicians to pharmaceutical companies.
• Enforce the Mann Act, halting the illegal transport of women and minors across state lines to acquire an abortion to cover up a sex crime.
• Open investigations into the following:
  • Abortionists and pro-abortion politicians for illicit chemical abortion drug trafficking in violation of Comstock Act.
  • Serial abortion fraud and malpractice, including injury and death.
  • Racketeering.
  • Conspiracy to violate these and other federal laws, including violations of the KKK Act for conspiracy to deprive pro-life pregnancy centers of their 1^st Amendment rights through conspiratorial censorship and 14^th Amendment rights through failure to equally enforce the law.