—At a Capitol Hill press conference today, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), and Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), flanked by several pregnancy care center advocates and pro-life leaders, unveiled the Let Pregnancy Centers Serve Act of 2025, H.R. 2226, which will prohibit federal, state and local governments from discriminating against pregnancy care centers because of their life-affirming mission.

“There are more than 2,700 pregnancy care centers throughout the United States—each and every one of them an oasis of love, compassion, empathy, respect, and quality care for both mothers and their precious children,” said Rep. Smith, co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus. “Yet state governments like my state of New Jersey and some lawmakers seek to discriminate against pregnancy care centers by violating fundamental conscience rights to compel complicity in abortion.”

“Liberal states and the former Biden administration attempted to unconstitutionally restrict TANF funds from supporting pro-life pregnancy centers, hindering their ability to assist pregnant mothers and their unborn babies. The Let Pregnancy Centers Serve Act ensures pregnancy resource centers and pro-life centers are not discriminated against and are able to carry out their services, including providing emotional support, access to prenatal and pregnancy care, and supplies to expecting mothers. We must ensure women have access to the resources pregnancy centers provide, empowering them to choose life," said Congresswoman Tenney. 

Pregnancy centers are community-based, nonprofit organizations that provide free support and resources to support the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual needs of pregnant women, young girls, couples, and families navigating pregnancy, and offer support for alternatives to abortion. These services can include pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, STD/STI tests, prenatal education programs, parenting education programs, after-abortion support, lactation consultations, certified dietician and nutritionist consultations, and well-women exams.

“The American people recognize the crucial services provided by pregnancy centers,” said Smith. According to a January 2025 poll, 83 percent of Americans support pregnancy care centers, including 80 percent of the individuals who identify as ‘pro-choice.’

“Pro-abortion legislators smear pregnancy center directors—who are mostly women compassionately seeking to help other women in their time of need,” he said.

PHOTO: From right to left are speakers Jo Ann Gerling, Marie Tasy, Eileen Den Blekyer,  Rep. Smith, Anne OConnor and Debbie Provencher in the House Rayburn Building.

Pro-Life leaders in the state of New Jersey and New York welcomed the introduction of the legislation:

“As a newcomer to the work of pregnancy centers in 2006, I soon saw the incredible value of providing a safe, confidential place where young women and couples facing unexpected pregnancies can think through their critical next steps, without pressure. Lighthouse and other pregnancy centers offer that opportunity free of charge,” explained Debbie Provencher, Executive Director of Lighthouse Pregnancy Resource Center, which operates four centers in northern New Jersey.   “Our work is made possible by thousands of generous donors and volunteers from the community,  supporting people they may never meet, simply because they believe every life has great value.”

“Life Choices Resource Center in Metuchen, New Jersey, was founded 40 years ago.  We are a Pregnancy Care Center helping mothers, babies, and families in times of need, said Jo Ann Gerling, Chairman of Life Choices Resource Center, Metuchen, N.J.  “We are so grateful to Rep. Chris Smith and Rep. Claudia Tenney for the "Let Pregnancy Centers Serve" Act. God bless you for acknowledging the life-affirming work of all Pregnancy Care Centers.  Thank you for all your support in helping us be able to provide for needy mothers, babies, and families.”

The NJ Association of Pregnancy Centers issued the following statement: “We applaud Congressman Smith for standing up for New Jersey pregnancy centers against the unfair, slanderous attacks on them. Our pregnancy centers provide essential services at absolutely no cost to individuals throughout our community.  Women who make the courageous choice to carry their pregnancy to term deserve support, compassionate care, and unwavering assistance throughout their journey.”

“It is clear that liberal states are more interested in protecting the abortion industry than they are in protecting women and children. Liberal states, like NY, have a long history of harming needy families—specifically women facing unplanned pregnancy—by discriminating against pro-life pregnancy centers simply because we refuse to provide or refer for abortion. Despite not having access to federal funding, pregnancy centers heroically provide women with millions of dollars worth of free medical care and support every year. Women deserve better than abortion,” said Reverand Jim Harden, CompassCare CEO.

Despite the important work of pregnancy care centers, there are many examples of states working to censor, intimidate or punish them. For instance, pregnancy centers in New Jersey and Washington State have filed lawsuits after alleged targeting by the Attorneys General. In New York, the Attorney General has filed a lawsuit attempting to prevent clinics from speaking about abortion pill reversal. In 2019, New York passed a law, currently being challenged in court, that could be used to force pregnancy centers to hire individuals who disagree with their pro-life mission. In 2018, the Supreme Court struck down a California law compelling pregnancy centers to provide free advertising for abortion clinics.

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