When the Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization draft decision by the US Supreme Court to return abortion law to the individual states was outrageously leaked, I wrote about the pro-abortion violence perpetrated on crisis pregnancy centres and the threats against Supreme Court judges.
Now Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts is not only strongly protesting the final ruling but has also stated :
"With Roe gone, it's more important than ever to crack down on so-called 'crisis pregnancy centres' that mislead and deceive patients seeking abortion care. We need to crack down on the deceptive practices these centres use to prevent people from getting abortion care, and I've got a bill to do just that."
Her bill titled the " Stop Anti-Abortion Disinformation Act " or "SAD Act" directs the Federal Trade Commission to "promulgate rules to prohibit a person from advertising with the use of misleading statements related to the provision of abortion service." It would also allow charities to be fined US$100,000 or "50 percent of the revenues earned by the ultimate parent entity" for disinformation, although the legislation itself does not define the prohibited speech.
Joining Senator Warren on the bill are Senators Hirono, Schatz, Booker, Smith, Klobuchar, Sanders, Murray, Merkley, Blumenthal, Feinstein, Wyden, Gillibrand, Markey, Warner and Markey.
Speaking with reporters in July, Senator Warren stated that: "In Massachusetts right now, those crisis pregnancy centres that are there to fool people who are looking for pregnancy termination help outnumber true abortion clinics by 3 to 1 . We need to shut them down here in Massachusetts, and we need to shut them down all around the country . You should not be able to torture a pregnant person like that" (All emphasis added)
This pronouncement was met with derision, even from some reporters.
Heidi Matzke, who heads a crisis pregnancy centre in Sacramento, California was eloquent in describing the violence her centre has faced as well as responding to Senator Warren's point that centres like hers must be shut down.
"We have had to stop operations of our mobile clinic. We've had to hire 24-hour onsite security. We've had to add cameras. We've had to arm our staff with pepper spray," she said, adding last week a man with a machete showed up and was stopped before he could inflict any harm or damage."
She also called Ms. Warren statements "horrific": "Pregnancy centres give away $266 million of free medical services and resources to communities all over this incredible country. And her words are just incredibly hurtful." (Emphasis added)
She also said her centre provides fully licensed OB/GYN care with medical professionals and that "most of the women working at her clinic have had an abortion before and many believe their lives would be 'so much different' if they had gone to a pregnancy centre."
Personally, and as a nurse, I have had experience with women considering abortion as well as women (and men) who relate how they were damaged by an abortion. They need compassion and real help.
Crisis pregnancy centres are a wonderful resource and even Senator Warren acknowledges that crisis pregnancy centres outnumber well-funded abortion clinics by 3 to 1. There's a lesson in that.
But most importantly, I wish that all of us would realize that abortion is a tragic loss of a life regardless of the circumstances, not a political cause to celebrate!