Niagara Leader

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney has reintroduced the Pregnancy Resource Center Defense Act, aimed at enhancing protections for pro-life pregnancy centers and holding accountable those who attack these facilities. The initiative comes in response to increased violence against such centers following the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson decision in 2022.

In Upstate New York, CompassCare Pregnancy Services, a pro-life center located in Amherst, experienced a firebombing incident in 2022 and further vandalism in 2023. The proposed legislation seeks to elevate first-time offenses from misdemeanors to felonies, increase fines from $10,000 to $25,000, ensure compensation of no less than $20,000 for successful lawsuits by affected centers and religious facilities, and raise the mandatory minimum sentence for arson-related attacks from five years to seven years.

Congresswoman Tenney stated, "Radical pro-abortion extremists have targeted pro-life pregnancy centers nationwide by attacking workers and volunteers, vandalizing facilities, and even firebombing buildings like CompassCare in Amherst, New York. The Pregnancy Resource Center Defense Act is a critical measure to protect women and families who depend on pro-life health centers like CompassCare for compassionate care."

Reverend Jim Harden, CEO of CompassCare, highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by such centers: “A recent study revealed that nearly 70% of women who had an abortion were coerced. Pro-life Pregnancy Resource Centers like CompassCare provide a third of a billion dollars of free medical care and support to women facing unplanned pregnancy every year." He added that Congresswoman Tenney’s bill represents "a strong step" toward addressing these issues.

The bill underscores efforts to counteract what proponents see as unjust attacks on pro-life citizens investing in community support during crises.