Lawmakers renew effort to direct federal aid to pregnancy resource centers

Pro-life lawmakers have filed legislation to assist pregnancy resource centers across the country.

Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, and Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-New York, reintroduced the Let Pregnancy Centers Serve Act last week.

The measure would ensure federal, state and local governments cannot prevent government entities from using Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grants to support pro-life pregnancy centers. 

Smith, who co-chairs the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, filed the legislation because New Jersey prevents TANF funding from going to such pregnancy centers. 

“There are more than 2,700 pregnancy care centers throughout the United States – each and every one of them an oasis of love, compassion, empathy, respect, and quality care for both mothers and their precious children,” he said in a release. “Yet state governments like my state of New Jersey and some lawmakers seek to discriminate against pregnancy care centers by violating fundamental conscience rights to compel complicity in abortion.” 

The NJ Association of Pregnancy Centers praised Smith for filing the proposal. 

“We applaud Congressman Smith for standing up for New Jersey pregnancy centers against the unfair, slanderous attacks on them,” the organization said in the release. “Our pregnancy centers provide essential services at absolutely no cost to individuals throughout our community.  Women who make the courageous choice to carry their pregnancy to term deserve support, compassionate care, and unwavering assistance throughout their journey.” 

Tenney agreed that providing more support to crisis pregnancy centers would help more mothers get the support they need. 

“The Let Pregnancy Centers Serve Act ensures pregnancy resource centers and pro-life centers are not discriminated against and are able to carry out their services, including providing emotional support, access to prenatal and pregnancy care, and supplies to expecting mothers,” she said. “We must ensure women have access to the resources pregnancy centers provide, empowering them to choose life.” 

TANF is a block grant that gives $16.6 billion annually to states, the District of Columbia, territories and federally recognized American Indian tribes.  

Governments can use this funding to serve four purposes: providing government assistance to help children stay in their own homes or with relatives, encouraging the formation and maintenance of two-parent families, preventing and reducing out-of-wedlock pregnancies and promoting job preparation, work and marriage. 

However, Democrats, including the previous Biden administration and various blue states, have a history of trying to discriminate against, block or even shut down pro-life pregnancy centers. 

Smith filed the same bill last year; the House Ways and Means Committee referred it to its Subcommittee on Work and Welfare but took no further action.