On June 24, the momentous anniversary of the famous pro-life Dobbs decision, Planned Parenthood held a rally at the Capitol in Harrisburg to lament the occasion and revealed their extreme agenda.
Here are some telling highlights (or more appropriately, lowlights) from their press conference:
Their Priority Abortion Bill, HB 2304, Would Remove Born Alive Protections and More
House Bill 2304 from Rep. Kristine Howard (D-Chester) is radical legislation that would repeal Pennsylvania’s long-standing Abortion Control Act and replace it with a completely new legal framework. It is the “omnibus” abortion bill that benefits the industry and removes common sense laws.
It would:
- Eliminate all current pro-life protections, including:
- The 24-hour waiting period
- Informed consent before having an abortion
- Parental consent requirement for minors to undergo abortion
- Remove protections for babies born alive from a failed abortion
- Expand who can perform abortions beyond medical doctors to include nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.
- Add “mental health” (as determined by physician) as a reason for late-term abortions after 24 weeks (6 months) of pregnancy. In practice, this is used to remove any time limits on abortions.
- Allows for chemical abortions via telemedicine, without the in-person requirement to determine gestational age, which increases chances for complications.
- Removes any mention of “unborn child” (which appears 33 times in the PA Abortion Control Act) and replaces it with “pregnancy.”
- Erases the terms “woman” or “mother” and substitutes “pregnant individuals” or “patients.”
This bill is not only devastating for the sanctity of life in Pennsylvania, but it also puts women at greater risk by lowering health and safety standards. It is clear that the abortion industry and its legislators are more concerned with their bottom line and not the care of women.
“Abortion is Safer than Childbirth”
When introducing the rally, Signe Espinosa, the Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates, said, “The first time I got pregnant, I took the safest option. Abortion is 14 times safer than childbirth.” She then reiterated a common talking point from the abortion industry by saying that abortion is one of the safest medical procedures a woman could get.
In reality, this common talking point could not be further from the truth.
First, there’s the glaring fact that, in order to be a successful procedure, abortion must take the life of an unborn child. In an abortion two patients and two beating hearts enter the operating room – only one leaves. Such an act cannot, in good conscience, be considered either “safe” or “healthcare.”
Second, the study claiming that abortion is safer than childbirth for women has been proved false. The Charlotte Lozier Institute has done a thorough breakdown debunking the myth here. Among other issues, they highlight how underreported and often estimated statistics are for abortion-related harms. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr. Julie Louise Gerberding, even wrote that maternal mortality ratios and abortion mortality rates “are conceptually different and are used by CDC for different public health purposes.”
Abortion is not safer than childbirth.
Pregnancy Care Centers Attacked, Once Again
In line with recent attacks, pregnancy care centers were once again maligned by the abortion industry and their legislators.
Rep. Mary Jo Daley (D-Montgomery) called pregnancy care centers “phony” and claimed that they deceive women about their options. She celebrated Real Alternatives losing funding last year.
This is out of touch with the lives and needs of Pennsylvania families. Pregnancy care centers offer vital services to tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians every single year. They offer parenting classes, formula, diapers, counseling, and more. Without them, many young mothers and parents who find themselves in difficult or unexpected pregnancies would be left without a lifeline.
Planned Parenthood Shows Where Their Priorities Lay
June 24th was a day of celebration for those in the pro-life community as we rejoice at Roe finally being overturned and for the door to be opened to protecting life in ways not possible before.
For Planned Parenthood and others in the abortion industry, it was a day of mourning. They used it to reveal just how extreme their agenda truly is. Planned Parenthood is out of touch with what the majority of Pennsylvanians want and think.
We will continue working until every life is protected and valued!
