Tenney Introduces Legislation to Protect Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers, Houses of Worship

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22) today introduced the Pregnancy Resource Center Defense Act to strengthen penalties for attacking pregnancy resource centers and places of worship. Reps. David McKinley (WV-01), Don Bacon (NE-02), Tracey Mann (KS-01), and Madison Cawthorn (NC-11) joined Tenney as original cosponsors. Senator Josh Hawley (MO) introduced the bill in the Senate.

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s historic decision in Dobbs v. Jackson, pro-life pregnancy centers and places of worship have faced unprecedented attacks from radical pro-abortion activists. At least 50 violent attacks against pro-life pregnancy centers and another 150 attacks against Christian churches have been recorded. In Amherst, NY, CompassCare Pregnancy Services was firebombed and threatened.

“Pro-life pregnancy centers provide lifesaving care to pregnant women in need,” said Tenney. “Radical pro-abortion terrorists have been targeting these pregnancy centers and Houses of Worship across the country in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe. In New York, CompassCare Pregnancy Services was recently firebombed because of its work to protect life. This is unacceptable. Today, I am standing up to say enough. Those who support life should never be under threat in America.”

Strong Support for Tenney’s Bill:
“When a woman faces an unplanned pregnancy, she feels trapped, without choice, like she needs to have an abortion. Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRCs) erase the need for abortion in her mind by providing ethical medical care and comprehensive support for free. Peaceful PRCs are being brutalized and bullied because we refuse to participate in the violence of abortion. Congresswoman Tenney’s bill protects a woman by defending the PRCs that provide her with the critical life-saving care,” said Rev. Jim Harden, President of CompassCare Pregnancy Services.

“There are more than 54,000 volunteers at pregnancy centers nationwide, including 10,200 licensed medical professionals who lovingly provide support, encouragement, and vital medical and material resources for women and families in need each year,” said Hon. Marilyn Musgrave, vice president of government affairs for SBA Pro-Life America. “The over 80 documented incidents of pro-abortion vandalism and violence against these pro-life organizations are heinous and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Specifically, the Pregnancy Resource Center Defense Act would protect pro-life pregnancy centers and places of worship from radical activists by strengthening penalties for attackers and increasing the minimum amount due to a center or religious facility that is attacked and sues successfully, including:

• Increasing criminal penalties from a misdemeanor to a felony for first-time offenses, and increasing the criminal fine from $10,000 to $25,000;
• Guaranteeing that pregnancy resource centers and religious facilities that successfully sue will receive no less than $20,000, a $10,000 increase from current levels; and
• Imposing a 7-year mandatory minimum when attacks involve arson, an increase from the current 5-year mandatory minimum.

The full text of the bill is available here.

A one-pager on the bill is available here.

###