Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro Kills Program to Help Pregnant Women, Save Babies From Abortions

A decades-long program created by a Pennsylvania Democrat to help pregnant mothers choose life for their unborn babies just got nixed by new pro-abortion Gov. Josh Shapiro.

Pro-life leaders responded with alarm this week, saying the cut will harm tens of thousands of women and children who depend on Real Alternatives every year.

“If the state is truly interested in reproductive health, why are we making it harder to access pregnancy and parenting services? Does our government want to help women and families or line the pockets of the abortion industry?” said Alexis Sneller, communications and policy officer with the Pennsylvania Family Institute.

On Thursday, the Democrat governor announced plans to end the state alternatives to abortion program, Real Alternatives, at the end of the year, the Penn Capital-Star reports. Shapiro was elected to office last year with support from Planned Parenthood.

“For decades, taxpayer dollars have gone to fund Real Alternatives. My administration will not continue that pattern – we will ensure women in this Commonwealth receive the reproductive health care they deserve,” Shapiro said in a statement.

However, his actions mean only abortion groups like Planned Parenthood will continue to receive state taxpayer dollars. Meanwhile, growing research indicates pregnant mothers struggle to find resources to help them and their babies. A new study published in the journal Cureus found two thirds of women seeking abortions would have chosen life if they had better support.

ACTION ALERT: To complain about this, Contact Gov. Josh Shapiro.

Real Alternatives, established 27 ago by former Democrat Gov. Bob Casey Sr., supports pregnant and parenting mothers who choose life for their unborn babies through maternity homes, pregnancy resource centers, adoption agencies and Catholic charities. These community nonprofits offer free counseling, diapers, clothing, strollers, temporary shelter and more to help families in need.

Every year since the program began, state lawmakers from both parties have supported its funding because they realized the need to help pregnant mothers choose life for their babies.

Thomas Shaheen, vice president for policy of Pennsylvania Family Institute, said the governor’s actions conflict with state law, which encourages childbirth over abortion.

“[T]his administration wants to unilaterally prioritize only one option for women: the ending of a pregnancy through abortion,” Shaheen said in a statement provided to LifeNews. “Our governor is already denying needy children from accessing a better education with his budget veto of Lifeline scholarships. Now he wants to deny children a chance at life. How incredibly heartless.”

According to the Star, about $30 million state tax dollars went to Real Alternatives between 2012 and 2017 to help pregnant and parenting mothers and babies.

In contrast, the Pennsylvania Family Institute said state-funded “reproductive health programs,” including Planned Parenthood and other groups that provide abortions, received more than $50 million in 2020 alone.

Predictably, Planned Parenthood PA Advocates celebrated the governor’s action while slamming the life-affirming program as “predatory” because it encourages pregnant mothers to choose life for their babies. The Women’s Law Project and Pennsylvania Women’s Health Caucus praised Shapiro for cutting the program, too.

Abortion activists claim pro-life organizations funded through the program deceive women about abortion risks and the medical services that they provide, and pressure women into keeping their babies.

But none of that is true, said Kevin I. Bagatta, Esq., president and CEO of the program.

Real Alternatives strives to ensure that every woman receives compassionate, non-judgmental and accurate information and support, and their service providers make it clear that abortion is not one of their services, Bagatta told LifeNews earlier this year.

All the educational materials that they use to counsel women cite authoritative sources like the Centers for Disease Control and medical studies in reputable journals, Bagatta continued. Nothing is judgmental, political or religious.

Sometimes, he said there is conflicting research about abortion risks, such as the potential increased risk of breast cancer. In those cases, instead of denying that there may be a risk – as abortion activists often do, Real Alternatives believes women deserve to know about the conflict so they can make their own decisions.

The program, which became a model for other states, has received praise from U.S. Department of Health and Human Service officials, politicians and pro-life leaders for its excellence in serving mothers who choose life for their babies.

“The track record of our Pennsylvania program in helping women is just phenomenal!” Maria Gallagher, legislative director of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, told LifeNews earlier this year. “Time and time again, women testify to the tremendous assistance they have received through this life-affirming program.”

Gallagher continued: “What help are the abortion industry and its apologists providing to pregnant women who want to keep their babies? The answer is clear. Rather than attacking those who provide much-needed support to pregnant women, lawmakers should be celebrating and investing more resources in this groundbreaking program.”

ACTION ALERT: To complain about this, Contact Gov. Josh Shapiro.

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