Stop Spending Welfare Money to Block Women's Right to Choose

  • by: Kailey L.
  • recipient: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

In states like Indiana, part of federal welfare funding goes toward crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs). These centers sound harmless, but often are ideological institutions where women are mislead or lied to about their right to choose. All welfare funds that states receive are supposed to be used to help achieve the goal of alleviating poverty. These centers do nothing to achieve that goal - sometimes actually causing women to spiral further into debt.

Crisis pregnancy centers are intentionally deceptive. While they are set-up to appear to be medical offices, CPCs across the country have been caught blatantly lying about the effectiveness of birth control and using scare tactics to dissuade women from getting abortions. Investigators were "shocked" and "appalled" when they saw the way women were completely mislead. It was not until 2001, when the Bush administration's Department of Health and Human Services approved the move, that CPCs became partially publicly funded. CPCs ideological mission is not to reduce poverty or help women who are struggling. They have a simple goal: eliminate abortion by convincing women not to have them.

Indiana alone spends $1.7 million of welfare funds on crisis pregnancy centers. It is one of 7 states that misuses the funding in this way. That much needed welfare money - money that could be used to help the tens of thousands of hungry children in Indiana - is spent lying and pressuring women away from their right to choose. It in no way reduces poverty. There is a sad irony in this, given that one of the top reasons women report wanting an abortion is because they don't think they can afford to support a child. Additionally, research shows if a woman attempts to get an abortion but its turned away, she is three times as likely to fall below the poverty line than someone who successfully obtains one.

Federal welfare dollars should not be spent on CPCs, ideological organizations that in no way reduce poverty. Tell the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: CPCs do not deserve our federal welfare dollars.

In states like Indiana, part of federal welfare funding goes toward crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs). These centers sound harmless, but often are ideological institutions where women are mislead or lied to about their right to choose. All welfare funds that states receive are supposed to be used to help achieve the goal of alleviating poverty. These centers do nothing to achieve that goal - sometimes actually causing women to spiral further into debt.

Crisis pregnancy centers are intentionally deceptive. While they are set-up to appear to be medical offices, CPCs across the country have been caught blatantly lying about the effectiveness of birth control and using scare tactics to dissuade women from getting abortions. Investigators were "shocked" and "appalled" when they saw the way women were completely mislead. It was not until 2001, when the Bush administration's Department of Health and Human Services approved the move, that CPCs became partially publicly funded. CPCs ideological mission is not to reduce poverty or help women who are struggling. They have a simple goal: eliminate abortion by convincing women not to have them.

Indiana alone spends $1.7 million of welfare funds on crisis pregnancy centers. It is one of 7 states that misuses the funding in this way. That much needed welfare money - money that could be used to help the tens of thousands of hungry children in Indiana - is spent lying and pressuring women away from their right to choose. It in no way reduces poverty. There is a sad irony in this, given that one of the top reasons women report wanting an abortion is because they don't think they can afford to support a child. Additionally, research shows if a woman attempts to get an abortion but its turned away, she is three times as likely to fall below the poverty line than someone who successfully obtain one.

Federal welfare dollars should not be spent on CPCs, ideological organizations that in no way reduce poverty. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: CPCs do not deserve our federal welfare dollars.

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