A Powerful Moment
I will never forget this jaw-dropping and tear-inducing moment.
The setting: A contentious debate on the floor of the Pennsylvania House Chamber.
The topic: A proposed law adding health and safety regulations on abortion clinics and requiring regular unannounced safety inspections.
The year: 2011, not long after a Philadelphia Grand Jury exposed the Kermit Gosnell “House of Horrors” abortion clinic scandal to a shocked nation.
The moment: In the midst of the debate, then-State Representative Margo Davidson (D-Delaware County) and a member of the House Black Caucus, stood up on the House floor and said this as she wiped away tears, her voice cracking with emotion:
I think I am the only member of this House that was directly touched by the tragedy at the Gosnell Clinic in the life of my 22-year-old cousin, Semika Shaw.
And today, I honor her memory by voting YES on this legislation that seeks to safeguard the health of women that is long overdue. So that never again will a woman walk into a licensed health care facility in the state of Pennsylvania and be butchered as she was. With her uterus perforated, and her death of sepsis and infection permeating in her body till she writhed in pain on the floor of her home to her ultimate death.
Today I thank the members of this House that supported this legislation for the safety of women.
That bill was passed into law, signed by Gov. Tom Corbett, and has led to the closure of several abortion clinics across our state (including one here in Harrisburg) that either failed to meet the new safety standards or repeatedly failed those unannounced inspections. I remain impressed with Rep. Davidson’s courage in vocally supporting the bill (she was the only member of the House Black Caucus to do so). And I remain unimpressed with Josh Shapiro, then a House member (and now Governor), who was one of the small minority to vote against this bill.
But today, I am concerned that Rep. Davidson’s “never again” hope is in danger as Planned Parenthood continues to advocate for rolling back these modest regulations meant to protect the mothers – the women seeking abortions.
Planned Parenthood’s 2025 Legislative Priorities
Pennsylvania Planned Parenthood this week posted its 2025 legislative priorities on Facebook, outlining an agenda that prioritizes expanding abortion access and funding while opposing regulations designed to protect women’s health. This stance is deeply troubling (but not surprising), especially when viewed through the lens of the Philadelphia Grand Jury’s findings in the Kermit Gosnell case and the subsequent passage (with our backing and Planned Parenthood’s opposition) of Pennsylvania’s 2011 law requiring abortion facilities to meet ambulatory surgical center (ASC) guidelines.
The Gosnell case exposed a horrific reality: a so-called “doctor” operating a filthy, unregulated clinic where women suffered and died, and “countless” viable babies were killed after being born alive. The Grand Jury’s report revealed that years of lax oversight—driven by political reluctance to inspect abortion facilities—allowed these atrocities to persist. In response, Pennsylvania enacted bipartisan legislation to hold abortion clinics to the same safety standards as other outpatient surgical centers, a common-sense measure to prevent another “House of Horrors.” The Grand Jury itself recommended this, noting that legitimate providers already met such standards and that no woman should be denied basic protections. Gosnell is serving a life sentence for his crimes.
Yet, Planned Parenthood’s 2025 priorities push to dismantle these safeguards, labeling them “burdensome” and advocating for increased funding for abortion instead. This approach dismisses the Gosnell tragedy as irrelevant, ignoring how unchecked facilities preyed on vulnerable women—often poor and minority—under the guise of “access.” The organization’s call for more medication abortion funding and fewer restrictions prioritizes profit and ideology over safety, a stance that echoes the negligence that enabled Gosnell’s crimes. Data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health underscores the need for oversight: half of the state’s abortion facilities failed inspections last year, with violations ranging from unsterilized instruments to improper disposal of fetal remains.
A Betrayal of Women and Children
This is a betrayal of women and children. True care protects both lives in a pregnancy, not just one. By opposing ASC standards, Planned Parenthood risks repeating history, endangering women while claiming to champion their rights. Families deserve better—policies that uphold life, dignity, and safety, not ones that sacrifice them for convenience. The Gosnell legacy—one for which Pennsylvania should be ashamed—demands vigilance, not regression.
In the election following Rep. Margo Davidson’s courageous vote and heart-gripping speech on the House floor, the heartless leaders at Pennsylvania Planned Parenthood backed a primary opponent to Rep. Davidson, citing her vote as the reason. I, for one, will never forget her bravery, the women and babies harmed by the predatory abortion industry, and the corrosive impact Planned Parenthood has and continues to have on our families and society. Let’s keep standing for what is right.
