By Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director, Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation
I am not sure what Democrat Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania was thinking when he threatened to eliminate a program that has served 350,000 women throughout the Commonwealth.
It has been the “Bud Light” of bureaucratic decisions, meaning that it flies in the face of public sentiment. The “PA Brand” has always been about helping pregnant women in difficult circumstances. The program has earned bipartisan support over the years—in fact, Democrat Governor Robert Casey, Sr. put money in the state budget for the innovative venture back in the 1990s. A Cabinet member during Democrat Ed Rendell’s Administration sang the program’s praises.
Research has indicated that pregnancy resource centers enjoy wide public support. Why? Because they offer women the comprehensive counseling and material aid they need during their pregnancies and beyond. These centers actually save states money because the women they serve are far more likely to seek prenatal care and well-baby care, preventing the kind of negative outcomes that can be costly for taxpayers.
Pennsylvania’s Pregnancy and Parenting Support Services program funds not only pregnancy resource centers, but maternity homes and adoption agencies as well. So, if you are for eliminating the program, you are expressing a point of view which is both anti-woman and anti-adoption.
We cannot afford to abandon these women at a critical juncture in their lives. We need to make our voices heard—not only in the Governor’s Office, but also in the offices of our state representatives and state senators.
To send an immediate message in support of Pennsylvania’s award-winning program, please visit https://www.paprolife.org/blog/help-pregnant-women-now .
Pennsylvania’s Governor needs to know that the Keystone State is ready, willing, and able to stand up for pregnant women facing challenging times.