By Dave Andrusko
Since the very beginning, National Right to Life has supported and publicized the work of pregnancy help center which in the beginning were called crisis pregnancy centers. Their work is even more important since the club pro-abortionists used in an attempt to thwart the work of non-sectarian pro-life organizations such as NRLC –Roe v. Wade—was taken out of their hands in 2022 with Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
Pro-abortionists responded furiously as we knew they would. That means there is much work yet for pro-lifers to accomplish in education and public policy.That means passing pro-life legislation, including Heartbeat Act, which became effective in Texas on September 1, 2021.
And such laws are already saving babies’ lives. Jeff Bradford and John McNamara tell us that “Two Years Later, The Texas Heartbeat Act Has Saved Thousands Of Lives.”
Bradford, president of the Human Coalition, and McNamara the outgoing Executive Director of the Texas Pregnancy Care Network, write
In the months that followed the implementation of the [Heartbeat] act, abortions in Texas fell, and more than 1,000 lives were saved each month. Then once the Supreme Court revoked Roe nine months later, recorded abortions dropped. Estimates vary, but the number of lives saved by the act could be around 10,000.
They continue, “Yet this seismic success would not have been possible without a strong network of pro-life leaders, including our two organizations. Without our teamwork, the critical advocacy of civic leaders, and the fearless leadership of public officials, this landmark pro-life law would not have happened.”
They understood that with the passage of the Heartbeat Act some Texas women would still seek abortions because they often feel pressured to abort “because of economic and social difficulties, such as poverty, domestic abuse, or lack of support from friends and family.”
Because these women “would have a myriad of tangible needs, we worked with legislative leaders to scale up assistance,” including expanding Medicaid coverage up to a year after delivery and a big boast in funding for the states Alternative to Abortion program.
“By establishing both a law that protected precious lives and a strong material safety net for vulnerable women, Texas truly became a leader for how states should respond to the needs of women everywhere post-Dobbs,” Bradford and McNamara write. “We are extraordinarily proud to have been part of this effort.”
They end with this: “Reflecting on these last two years, we are grateful for the work of pro-life advocates who made this law possible, and we look forward to a future where we can continue our work of serving vulnerable women so they can save the children in their wombs.”