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This nomination marks the first time since 2006 that a president has put forth a staunch pro-life judge for the U.S. Supreme Court. There’s no doubt that putting Judge Neil Gorsuch on the Supreme Court will make a long-lasting and significant impact on our fight to protect the preborn.
Just consider the issues potentially at stake:
- The fetal heart beat laws and the abortion clinic regulations that have been struck down by many lower courts could be up for review.
- And the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act currently moving through the Senate could be more likely to remain intact if another pro-life justice is added to the U.S. Supreme Court.
So much is at stake with this nomination, which is why your Senators must hear from you now.
Sign our petition to the U.S. Senate today, and demand that they confirm Judge Neil Gorsuch for the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Every Mother Matters Act (EMMA): Empowering Texas Women
The Every Mother Matters Act (“EMMA”) is a critical piece of bipartisan Texas legislation that would create a tangible system of support for at-risk women considering abortion.
The majority of pregnant women who abort their preborn children are young, uninsured, and unemployed or only employed part-time. According to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 60% of women who have an abortion already have at least one child.
Additionally, we have found that 59% of women planning to abort completed high school as their highest level of education and 90% of pregnant women who seek assistance or aid do so in the first trimester, when prenatal care is most critical to a healthy pregnancy. The primary reasons women cite for seeking abortion are tangible and straightforward — lack of support and basic necessities, like food, housing, and childcare.
There are two notable factors that women planning to abort most have in common. First, 75% state that if their circumstances were different, they would prefer to keep their child and parent. Second, they are unaware that any public or private assistance for their circumstances exists or how to navigate it.
Pregnant women in need face emotional, situational, and, many times, physical duress. They walk out of abortion clinics with the same life circumstances because abortion never rectifies the real long-term challenges they face.
Under current Texas law, physicians and abortion providers are required to provide documentation with information on programs available to women seeking an abortion. However, this documentation is lengthy, and gives women in need no true help or support to actually obtain the resources.
Moreover, this information is often provided through abortion clinics – which have a financial interest in the abortion and are not equipped to address socio-economic needs.
Simply put, women deserve better care and real options – especially when they need it most. That’s why EMMA is so important.
What is EMMA?
Texas State Senator Angela Paxton and Texas State Representative Jeff Leach introduced EMMA on February 24, 2021. Additional joint authors included Senators Paul Bettencourt, Donna Campbell, Bob Hall, Bryan Hughes, Eddie Lucio, Jr., and Charles Perry. This bipartisan bill ensures at-risk women have a meaningful opportunity to learn about and access assistance when they need it most. EMMA provides at-risk women immediate personal support, long-term solutions, and healthy pregnancy benefits through trained licensed professionals who seek to aid them with the assistance they require.
EMMA empowers women and their children with real options and comprehensive care to alleviate obstacles. Moreover, if this legislation is enacted, women would have access to care for up to two years, regardless of whether or not they have an abortion.
The bill provides a host of benefits to the health of women and their children, including prenatal and post-partum care, and assistance for victims of human trafficking and abuse.
How does EMMA work?
EMMA creates a system of tangible support for women considering abortion. A woman receives a free “resource access assistance offer” from a trained, licensed professional prior to obtaining an abortion. The third-party professional explains public and private services available to the woman and offers to connect her directly with them. This offer is provided through a brief phone call to a toll-free phone number. EMMA enables women to receive immediate assistance and long-term relief, when they need it most. EMMA gives pregnant women real options and better solutions for whatever she is facing.
Additionally, abortion-seeking women are among America’s most vulnerable and most underserved groups. EMMA provides the opportunity for at-risk women to receive customized, holistic care.
Ultimately, regardless of the woman’s decision, EMMA would give her the opportunity to receive long-term support to stabilize her and her family.
Why is EMMA important to the ongoing nationwide fight for life?
First and foremost, EMMA has a bipartisan group of cosponsors and supporters. Additionally, while this specific bill is introduced in the State of Texas, EMMA has the potential to be codified in states around the country. In February of this year, Arkansas signed EMMA into law. Human Coalition Action advocates for policymakers in other states who want to provide real options and better solutions for women and their children to pass EMMA.
Additional Resources:
Arkansas Bill: HB1195 - To Create the Every Mom Matters Act
Press Release: Human Coalition Action Applauds Introduction of the Every Mother Matters Act in Texas
EMMA Texas: www.everymothermattersact.com/texas