The Hill is reporting that Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) has introduced the Stop Deceptive Advertising for Women's Services Act (H.R. 2030) which makes it illegal for crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) to "deceive" women who are seeking information about their pregnancy. Pro-abortion lawmakers and the abortion lobby have long accused the centers of advertising abortion services to attract patients, and then trying to convince them to keep their babies.
"Women shouldn't be deliberately misled or coerced when they seek legitimate medical services," Maloney said. "While I will defend crisis centers' First Amendment rights even though I disagree with their view of abortion, those that practice bait-and-switch should be held accountable so that pregnant women are not deceived at an extremely vulnerable time in their lives."
The new law would authorize the Federal Trade Commission to investigate reports of any misleading claims from CPCs in the same manner in which they investigate other consumer products and services.
Maloney's bill currently has 12 co-sponsors, all Democrats, and Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) has introduced a companion bill in the Senate. .
Family Research Council president Tony Perkins calls the new bill a "witch hunt" against pregnancy resource centers which is intended to distract attention from the real problem - unregulated and unethical abortion clinics.
"It's a defense mechanism--pure and simple," Perkins writes. "While the rest of the country looks with shock on the inhumanity of born-alive abortion, Democrats in Congress are trying to crack down on a movement helping women to meet basic needs and make a safe and informed decision: pregnancy care centers."
Maloney and Menendez are so intent on discrediting CPCs that they're willing to expose their own hypocrisy to do so, Perkins says.
"If anyone's in favor of full disclosure, it's the pro-life movement! Unlike the Left, these centers tell moms what Planned Parenthood won't: that there are ways of coping with unexpected pregnancies other than abortion. And unlike their competition, they don't have a financial stake in the outcome! If Congress is going to scrutinize anyone, shouldn't it be the groups actually profiting from their agenda?"
Instead, these lawmakers need to focus on the deception that is going on in their own clinics.
"Why aren't its clinics required to admit, 'We'll encourage your underage daughters to have an abortion without your knowledge or consent'? Or, 'Our employees willingly cover-up sexual abuse, defraud taxpayers, and never perform in-house mammograms?' If anyone needs truth in advertising, it's the industry telling mothers their baby is just 'a blob of tissue' or that late-term abortions are only performed in 'life-threatening emergencies'."
He concludes, "If Senator Maloney and pals want to bring some accountability to the process, then it's time to look in the mirror--not at pro-lifers."
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