From its inception, National Right to Life has provided support and publicity to the work of pregnancy help centres, which were originally known as crisis pregnancy centres. The work of these organisations is of even greater importance in light of the fact that the pro-abortion lobby attempted to impede the activities of non-sectarian pro-life organisations such as NRLC by introducing legislation based on the Roe v. Wade decision. However, this was overturned in 2022 with the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling.
Those in favour of abortion reacted with vehement opposition as was to be expected. This indicates that there is still much work to be done by pro-life advocates in the areas of education and public policy. This includes the passage of pro-life legislation, such as the Heartbeat Act, which became effective in Texas on 1 September 2021.
It is evident that such legislation is already resulting in the saving of infant lives. Jeff Bradford and John McNamara have indicated that, two years after its enactment, the Texas Heartbeat Act has resulted in the saving of thousands of lives.
In a joint statement, Bradford, president of the Human Coalition, and McNamara, the outgoing Executive Director of the Texas Pregnancy Care Network, have written
In the months following the implementation of the Heartbeat Act, the number of abortions in Texas decreased, with over 1,000 lives saved each month. Subsequently, following the Supreme Court’s revocation of Roe nine months later, the number of recorded abortions declined. The precise number of lives saved by the act is uncertain, but estimates suggest that it could be as high as 10,000.
It is further asserted that the aforementioned seismic success would not have been possible without the existence of a robust network of pro-life leaders, including the two organisations in question. “Without the collaborative efforts of our team, the crucial advocacy of civic leaders, and the courageous leadership of public officials, this pivotal pro-life legislation would not have been enacted.”
It was recognized that the enactment of the Heartbeat Act would not eliminate the possibility of abortions for some women in Texas. These women often feel pressured to abort due to economic and social difficulties, such as poverty, domestic abuse, or lack of support from friends and family.
Given the multitude of tangible needs that these women would have, it was deemed necessary to work with legislative leaders in order to scale up assistance. This entailed the expansion of Medicaid coverage up to a year after delivery, as well as a significant increase in funding for the states’ Alternative to Abortion program.
The authors posit that Texas’s enactment of a law protecting the lives of pregnant women and a robust material safety net for vulnerable women has established the state as a model for how other states should respond to the needs of women in the wake of the Dobbs decision. “We are immensely gratified to have been able to contribute to this endeavour.”
The conclusion of the document is as follows: In reflection of the preceding two years, we express our gratitude to the pro-life advocates who made this law possible. We anticipate that our future work will continue to serve vulnerable women, with the objective of enabling them to save the children in their wombs.
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.
