Author Archives: maria

🔊 Play By Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director

This is a question I long to ask the current crop of Democratic candidates for President: Have you forgotten Kermit Gosnell?

Gosnell was the infamous abortionist and mass murderer who is suspected of killing hundreds of newborn babies. Prosecutors in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania could bring criminal charges in only a handful of cases because Gosnell destroyed so many records from his “House of Horrors” abortion facility.

Ultimately, Gosnell was convicted of the murder of three newborn babies and involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of a female patient, Karnamaya Mongar. He is now safely off the streets, serving three consecutive life terms in prison.

I have yet to hear a Democratic Presidential candidate mention his name. He does not fit their false narrative: that abortionists come to the rescue of women (they don’t) and that infanticide is a hoax (Tell that to those who witnessed Gosnell’s evil deeds).

Gosnell’s crimes pulled the curtain back on an abortion industry the mainstream media simply do not want to investigate. The abortionist actually joked that one of the babies he killed was big enough to walk to the bus stop. Gosnell is the epitome of someone with simply no regard for innocent human life—inside or outside the mother’s womb.

The Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act would ensure that medical care would be required for babies born during botched abortions. Democratic U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has denied the bill a vote some 80 times.

As you can imagine, many people in Pennsylvania—individuals who have felt the repercussions of Gosnell’s depravity—are outraged that the bill has not passed. So they are calling on their Congressional representatives to sign a discharge petition which would allow a vote on the bill.

They are also incensed that Democratic Presidential candidates would ignore the silent crimes of Gosnell’s victims. For, by supporting absolutely no limits on abortion and no protections for babies who survive abortion, these candidates are doing nothing to prevent future Gosnells from plying their grisly trade.

If we have learned nothing else from the epic Gosnell tragedy, it is that abortion can all too easily lead to infanticide. Without the law and public officials to protect them, untold numbers of babies may be at risk.

🔊 Play By Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director

The year 2020 will mark a new era in the decades-old fight for legal protection for preborn children in Pennsylvania.

Next year the Keystone State will be holding its first Pennsylvania March for Life on May 18^th. Pro-lifers from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and many points in between will be converging on the state Capitol in Harrisburg to draw attention to the plight of the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable citizens.

Why will we be marching in Pennsylvania?

• We march on behalf of children in the womb who lose their lives at the rate of 30,000 annually in the state known as the birthplace of our nation.
• We march for the many Pennsylvania women facing challenging circumstances during their pregnancies.
• We march in honor of children with special needs who so often receive a prenatal death sentence based on their diagnosis.
• We march in solidarity with women who have had abortions who now regret them.
• We march arm-in-arm with men who have grieved lost fatherhood as a result of abortion.
• We march to empower the frail elderly who are in danger of assisted suicide and euthanasia.
• We march to celebrate the gift of life, at all its stages and phases of development.
• We march to rebuild a culture of life in Pennsylvania from the moment of conception to the instant of natural death.
• We march in defense of our time-tested Abortion Control Act, which provides for 24-hour waiting periods, parental consent, and informed consent for abortion.
• We march in recognition of the need for greater legal protections for preborn children in Pennsylvania.
• We march to show that there is a better way to handle unexpected pregnancies than Roe v. Wade, the tragic U.S. Supreme Court decision which brought us abortion for any reason, or no reason at all, during all nine months of pregnancy.
• We march to demonstrate our opposition to cruel dismemberment abortions, in which babies are torn limb by limb from their mothers’ wombs.
• We march to bring hope and healing to grandparents who have lost precious grandchildren to abortion.
• We march in recognition of the hundreds of pregnancy resource centers throughout the Commonwealth which offer comprehensive counseling and support to pregnant women and their families.
• We march to rededicate ourselves to the awesome pro-life movement which has enhanced the quality of life in Pennsylvania.
• We march to pay tribute to the dignity and inestimable value of human life.

If you live in Pennsylvania, please consider joining us at the 2020 Pennsylvania March for Life. It is your opportunity to stand up for the values you hold dear.

🔊 Play By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director

I treasure the autographed copy of the book Fighting for Life, which has a place of prominence in our office library.

The book tells the moving story of the life of former Pennsylvania Governor Robert P. Casey, Sr., who called himself the “First of the New Democrats.”

Casey was pro-life–unapologetically so. He signed into law the 1989 Pennsylvania Abortion Control Act, which provided for 24 hour waiting periods for abortion, informed consent prior to abortion, parental consent for a minor’s abortion, and a ban on sex selection abortions.

The law became the basis of the U.S. Supreme Court case Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which ushered in a new era of legal protections for preborn children and their mothers.

Casey’s legacy? As a result of the Abortion Control Act, Pennsylvania’s abortion rate was cut in half. The law also became a model for the rest of the nation.

I cannot help thinking of the late Governor Casey when I peruse the stands of the Democratic Presidential candidates on the life issues. National Right to Life has produced a helpful handout on the candidates’ positions, and they show unbridled support for the nation’s current policy of abortion on demand.

This is despite a Marist poll earlier this year showing more Democrats identifying as pro-life.

I think to myself, “What would Governor Casey say about the Democratic Presidential candidates’ full embrace of the pro-abortion agenda?”

And then I turn to page 182 of his book, and I think I’ve found the answer.

Back in April of 1992, when Planned Parenthood v. Casey was argued before the Supreme Court, reporters asked Casey for comment on the case.

He answered with a question: “In this debate, who speaks for the child?”

The answer among this year’s crop of Democratic Presidential candidates?

No one.

🔊 Play By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director

Pennsylvania celebrates an important milestone this week–the five-year anniversary of the signing of Chloe’s Law.

This landmark act, signed by pro-life Republican Governor Tom Corbett, ensures that the parents of preborn babies who are diagnosed with Down syndrome receive information and supportive resources to help them on their journey.

The law is named for Chloe Kondrich, a vivacious girl with Down syndrome. Her accomplishments run the gamut…from joining with her father Kurt to give the keynote address at the recent National Right to Life Convention to speaking at the United Nations (twice). She has also met with celebrated musicians, athletes, and public officials. Among her many fans are the President and Vice-President of the United States.

Chloe’s Law is as simple as it is remarkable–provide parents with concrete support, and they are far less likely to choose abortion. It is important to note that the legislation received nearly unanimous, bipartisan support in the state legislature.

Let’s hope that more states enact laws similar to the one that bear’s Chloe’s name. The legislation represents a positive approach to an alarming problem–the high incidence of abortion for babies with a diagnosis of Down syndrome. Statistics show that the vast majority of children in the womb who receive such a diagnosis are aborted. Kurt Kondrich sees it as the ultimate form of discrimination against people with disabilities.

Through greater education, understanding, and love, we can reverse this disturbing trend–and make America safe for children with Down syndrome.

🔊 Play By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director

The news sent shockwaves through the Twittersphere: after less than nine months on the job, the president of Planned Parenthood was being ousted.

Dr. Leana Wen tweeted on Tuesday afternoon:

I just learned that the @PPFA Board ended my employment at a secret meeting. We were engaged in good faith negotiations about my departure based on philosophical differences over the direction and future of Planned Parenthood. My statement to come shortly.

But what could those philosophical differences be? It appears that, even though she consistently claimed–falsely–that “abortion is health care,” Wen was not politically aggressive enough when it came to promoting abortion.

In a letter posted on Twitter, Wen said she came to Planned Parenthood to promote health care. But the new board’s leadership has made its priority doubling down on abortion advocacy.

This is what pro-lifers have known all along. The vast majority of Planned Parenthood’s abortion center income comes from abortion. Rather than promoting “choice,” the vast “non-profit” organization promotes abortion expansion.

Abby Johnson knows this first-hand. She’s the former Planned Parenthood director whose conversion to the pro-life cause after viewing an ultrasound-guided abortion formed the basis of the movie Unplanned.

With graciousness and love, Abby reached out to Wen on Twitter following news of Wen’s departure from Planned Parenthood:

Leana, I know exactly how Planned Parenthood works and know ALL about their secret meetings. If you ever want to talk about your experience (in complete confidence), I’m here. I will help in any way I can through your transition. 

The fact is, Abby and other pro-lifers stand ready to assist anyone who has been caught up in the tragic business of abortion. So many former abortion center workers are now ardently pro-life.

I can only hope that Leana Wen will come to see that Planned Parenthood is standing on the wrong side of history–and on the opposite side of women facing challenging pregnancies.

🔊 Play By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director

She had come seeking justice–not for herself, but for her daughters and their friend.

Ashley Garecht recently came to the state Capitol in Harrisburg, PA to do what she said was her job–advocating on behalf of her children.

You might not know Ashley’s name, but chances are you saw her face–trying to speak rationally and calmly to an out-of-control lawmaker in a video that went viral.

PA State Representative Brian Sims (D-Philadelphia) recorded himself berating and harassing Ashley, her teenage girls, and their friend. The group had been quietly praying outside a Philadelphia Planned Parenthood facility known for its shoddy safety record.

Sims even offered a bounty to anyone who would identify the teenagers and reveal their home addresses. In a separate video, he used the same tactics to try to intimidate an older woman who was simply exercising her First Amendment rights by peacefully praying in front of the abortion center.

Sims has failed to personally apologize to Ashley, her daughters, their friend, and the unidentified older woman.

But Ashley–along with many people both in Pennsylvania and around the country–want to see Sims held accountable for his actions. They are supporting a resolution, sponsored by state Representative Jerry Knowles (R-Schuylkill, Berks, and Carbon Counties), which would formally censure Sims and take away his committee assignments.

At last county, House Resolution 387 had nearly 40 co-sponsors. But so far, House leadership has been reluctant to take up the cause–despite the nearly universal condemnation of Sims’ behavior.

And so Ashley made the rounds of the Capitol, meeting lawmakers in leadership, hoping to hold Sims to account. The odds might be stacked against her, but she is willing to try–for the sake of the young people that Sims badgered–and for all young people struggling to be heard above the din of a culture which tolerates, and at times even celebrates, abortion on demand.

Action Item: If you live in PA, please call and email your state Representative and urge him or her to support HR 387.