Congressman Dan Goldman Announces Abortion Care Awareness Act to Combat Anti-Abortion Misinformation

The ‘Abortion Care Awareness’ Act Would Ensure People Across the Country Have Access to Accurate Information About Abortion Services and Where to Obtain Them

Goldman Highlights Dangers Posed by Crisis Pregnancy Centers

In New York City Alone, 13 Crisis Pregnancy Centers Compared to Five Planned Parenthood Locations

Washington, DC – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) today announced his intent to introduce the ‘Abortion Care Awareness Act,’ the first bill he is set to introduce in 2024. Goldman will be introducing this bill alongside Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (TX-30). This bill would increase access to medically accurate information about abortion, specifically medication abortion. Additionally, this bill would ensure people have access to accurate information about where and how to obtain abortion services across the country, how to avoid anti-abortion centers intended to deceive patients, and how to identify misinformation about abortion care.

At the announcement, the Congressman also highlighted the dangers of crisis pregnancy centers, which are hotspots of reproductive health care disinformation. Congressman Goldman was joined by the Honorable Carolyn Maloney, Deputy Manhattan Borough President Keisha Sutton-James, and Planned Parenthood of Greater New York’s Chief External Affairs Officer Dipal Shah.

“As misinformation continues to run rampant, it is critical that we cut through the noise and ensure that those seeking abortion care and services have accurate information,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “Crisis pregnancy centers use this lack of comprehensive, reliable information to spread their own propaganda and misinformation to take advantage of women across the country – even right here in New York City. There can be no delay in coordinating an outreach and information campaign to drown out all reproductive health care disinformation.”

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett said, “Let me be clear - crisis pregnancy centers that fail to give women All the necessary information of what options and healthcare are available to them are simply anti-science, anti-medicine, and anti-women. Everyone should be deeply worried about entities luring and lying to patients seeking care in attempt to manipulate and deceive them and control their medical choices. In Texas alone, there are nearly 200 such centers – and that’s just the ones we know about. These facilities, usually run by far-right extremists, target women seeking abortion care through promoted ads on search engines, representing themselves as abortion clinics and tricking patients into wasting valuable time and resources. I am proud to introduce this legislation alongside Rep. Goldman to help women make informed choices by ensuring they are given all the facts and options when seeking reproductive care.”

Dipal Shah, Chief External Affairs Officer, Planned Parenthood of Greater New York said, “Planned Parenthood of Greater New York applauds Congressman Goldman and the many advocates working across all levels of government to protect and expand reproductive health access as we see unprecedented nationwide attacks on this critical care. We are heartened to see increased access to medically accurate information about medication abortion and guidance for patients on how to identify between legitimate health centers like Planned Parenthood and dangerous crisis pregnancy centers highlighted in this bill. Together, we’re building a haven for this care for all who need it, near and far, and in the face of devastating assaults, we are boldly saying abortion is health care and our communities deserve reproductive freedom.”

The ‘Abortion Care Awareness Act’ would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a coordinated national public health education, awareness, and outreach campaign to provide accurate information regarding where and how to access abortion care, the right to travel across state lines and utilize telemedicine to access abortion care, how to identify misinformation about abortion, and more. The campaign would be designed in consultation with health care professionals, nonprofit reproductive rights and justice organizations, state and local health departments, and other experts.

Crisis pregnancy centers market themselves as abortion clinics or comprehensive reproductive health care providers to women in vulnerable and emotionally fragile positions, intentionally targeting low-income communities and communities of color. Once under their care, these centers use aggressive rhetoric and manipulative means to coerce them into carrying their pregnancies to full term, jeopardizing their health, well-being, and trust in health care providers.

According to the Crisis Pregnancy Center Map, led by Dr. Andrea Swartzendruber and Dr. Danielle Lambert, of the College of Public Health at the University of Georgia, there are 13 crisis pregnancy centers in New York City alone. In fact, there are more crisis pregnancy centers in New York City than there are Planned Parenthood locations (5).

Congressman Dan Goldman is committed to protecting abortion access across the country and combatting abortion misinformation.

Last week, Goldman cosponsored the ‘Stop Anti-Abortion Disinformation (SAD) Act’ to stop crisis pregnancy centers organizations from using deceptive advertisements claiming to offer reproductive health care. The SAD Act would direct the Federal Trade Commission to prohibit unfair or deceptive advertising related to the provisions of abortion services and authorize the FTC to enforce these rules and collect penalties from organizations in violation. 

In March of 2023, the Congressman cosponsored the ‘Women’s Health Protection Act,’ which establishes a federal right for healthcare professionals to provide abortion care and the right for their patients to receive care, free from bans and medically unnecessary restrictions that single out abortion care. The ‘Women’s Health Protection Act’ codifies and expands upon the rights established in Roe v. Wade.

Congressman Goldman is a member of the Pro-Choice Caucus.

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