The Care for Her Act

RICHARD A. SOKERKA

One of the arguments hurled at the pro-life community by those who are pro-abortion, including many politicians, is that the pro-life community is only pro-birth and does not provide care for the mother and her child afterward. Although nothing could be further from the truth, a congressman from Nebraska is seeking to not only bring more visibility to the countless organizations which provide care for women experiencing crisis pregnancies through birth and beyond, but also to emulate that care at the federal level and enshrine it into law.

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R) will introduce the Care for Her Act to Congress soon. The goal of the bill is to “To care for that journey of life through a complementary set of services whereby the government makes a decided choice on behalf of the life of the unborn child and meeting the needs of the expectant mother,” Rep. Fortenberry said.

The Care For Her Act seeks to accomplish this through four provisions: A $3,600 tax credit for unborn children, which would apply retroactively after the child is born, in addition to the existing tax credit for children; a comprehensive assessment and cataloguing of the programs and resources that are available to expectant mothers; providing federal grants to advance maternal housing, job training mentorships and other educational opportunities for expectant mothers, and by offering financial incentives to communities that improve maternal and child health outcomes.

The Biden Administration has already blatantly removed the Hyde Amendment from its proposed budget, which has been in place for more than four decades, to prohibit taxpayer dollars from paying for abortions. The Care for Her Act would circumvent this to a degree.

“Abortion has caused such a deep wound in the soul of America,” Rep. Fortenberry said. “However, the flip side of this is not only what we are against, because it is so harmful, but what are we for? So many wonderful people throughout this country carry the burden of trying to be with women in that vulnerable moment where there is an unexpected pregnancy and show them the gift of what is possible for that child and for that woman. Let’s do that with government policy as well.”

Amidst the politically polarizing discussions about pregnancy and unborn life, the Care for Her Act is a common-sense approach to caring for women and their babies. It offers women facing an unexpected pregnancy the chance to experience hope in a seemingly hopeless situation and make a life-giving decision for both herself and her child.

“I think it opens a whole new set of imaginative possibilities for America, a transformative ideal that again makes this moment of vulnerability when there is an unexpected pregnancy, our chance, our commitment as a community of care,” Rep. Fortenberry said.

We thank Rep. Fortenberry for proposing this life-saving legislation, and we hope and pray that members of Congress will see its important need in helping stem the tide of abortions across the nation while helping pregnant women in crisis get the help they need to choose life for the child in their womb.