On Thursday, Texas state representatives approved a record $225 million to fund Texas’ Alternatives to Abortion program.
The reversal of Roe v. Wade and the subsequent banning of elective abortion in Texas has led to a 43% increase in demand for life-affirming assistance from nonprofit pregnancy centers, adoption agencies, and maternity homes within the Alternatives to Abortion network.
Texas Right to Life lobbied lawmakers to direct $200 million to Alternatives to Abortion for 2024 and 2025 and an additional $25 million to the programme for the remainder of the 2023 fiscal year, through two different bills.
Pregnant women and families in Texas are eligible to receive a range of free social services, including baby supplies such as diapers and formula, job skills training, counselling, adoption assistance, and more, through the Alternatives to Abortion programme. The state of Texas reimburses nonprofit organisations in the network for the services they provide before and after birth, even until the child is three years old.
The state of Texas operates on a balanced budget. The state is constrained to allocate funds that have already been generated, and it is unable to spend money that does not exist. The state of Texas currently has a surplus of $32.7 billion.
Representative Cody Vasut (R-Angleton), who proposed the amendment to increase the programme’s funding, stated during the debate that these programmes provide critical services to women in need. The aforementioned programs have provided services to more than 100,000 Texans over the past year.
Vasut’s amendment for Alternatives to Abortion was passed with the support of every Republican member of the assembly, as well as a number of Democrats.
Concurrently, state representatives approved a measure to provide an additional $25 million in funding to the programme for the remainder of the 2023 fiscal year.
As a consequence of the increase in the number of Texans visiting providers of alternative abortion services, the programme was facing the imminent risk of running out of funds by June 2023. In the absence of supplementary funding from the legislature, non-profit organisations within the network would not be compensated for services provided to assist women in making decisions about their pregnancies until September 2023.
The Pro-Life amendment, authored by Representative Jeff Leach, was passed by a vote of 86 to 62.
The Alternatives to Abortion programme in Texas is the largest and most successful state-funded resource in the United States of America, providing assistance to women who wish to choose life for their unborn child.
Despite the assertion by Democrats that those who advocate for the rights of the unborn do not care about children after they are born, it was liberals who sought to reduce funding for adoption agencies and pregnancy help. Three Democratic representatives proposed amendments that would have reduced funding for Alternatives to Abortion by over $60 million and imposed additional bureaucratic requirements on the network’s nonprofit contractors. None of these amendments were enacted.
While last Thursday’s victories are encouraging, the fight for alternatives to abortion is not yet over. The aforementioned bills must still navigate the remainder of the legislative process, which includes review and passage by the Senate and a conference committee comprising House and Senate members. While this increased funding is a significant achievement, it is not yet guaranteed until the bills reach the governor’s desk and are signed by him.
The outcome of the first legislative session since the reversal of Roe v. Wade will have a significant impact on the future of the pro-life movement.
In the remaining 49 days, it is possible to achieve remarkable outcomes that would halt the practice of illegal abortions, provide assistance to women who have undergone such procedures, and reinstate pro-life values in healthcare.
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
