FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 18, 2025
Contact:
Josue Sierra, Director of Communications
Pennsylvania Family Council
media@pafamily.org | 202-430-0282
Pennsylvania Family Council: House Vote Advances Extreme Abortion Amendment
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania Family Council is strongly disappointed following yesterday’s narrow Pennsylvania House vote advancing House Bill 1957, an extreme constitutional amendment that would enshrine abortion on demand into the Pennsylvania Constitution and jeopardize every existing pro-life safeguard, including protections against taxpayer-funded abortions.
What happened:
- The measure passed by a single vote in a one-seat Democratic majority.
- Two Democrats — Reps. Frank Burns and Anita Kulik — voted no.
- Two Republicans — Reps. Kathleen Tomlinson and Joe Hogan — voted yes.
Why it matters:
- HB 1957 would enshrine abortion into the state Constitution, which would effectively allow for abortion on-demand through all stages of pregnancy.
- It would jeopardize every safeguard on abortion in current law, like stopping taxpayer funds from being used to pay for abortion, to the safety regulations in place after the horrors by abortionist Kermit Gosnell..
- Constitutional amendments are difficult to undo and affect every Pennsylvanian, regardless of party or belief.
Voices ignored:
Just days before the vote, Judge Cheryl Lynn Allen (Ret.), the first Black woman elected to the Pennsylvania Superior Court, delivered an open letter to the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus urging a “no” vote. Her warning was joined by dozens of Black and Latino pastors, physicians, and community leaders.
“In Pennsylvania, Black women make up about 14 percent of women of childbearing age, yet account for more than 40 percent of abortions,” Judge Allen wrote. “That is not a coincidence. It is a crisis.”
What’s next:
HB 1957 now moves to the Pennsylvania Senate, where it is unlikely the Republican controlled Senate will take this on. Pennsylvania Family Council will continue to educate lawmakers and the public and to advocate for policies that protect life, support women, and strengthen families.
The following can be attributed to Alexis Sneller, Policy Analyst at Pennsylvania Family Council:
“Enshrining abortion on demand into our Constitution is extreme, unnecessary, and out of step with the values of many Pennsylvanians. This amendment would erase longstanding safeguards, silence the conscience of voters for generations, and force taxpayers to subsidize an industry that profits from ending human life. Our Constitution should protect the most vulnerable and unite our Commonwealth around shared principles, not lock in one of the most radical abortion laws in the country.”
About Pennsylvania Family Council:
Pennsylvania Family Council is a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening families by advocating for foundational values essential to the well-being of society. Go to www.pafamily.org to learn more.
