Smith applauds SCOTUS decision to hear case on NJ discrimination against pregnancy centers

Smith applauds SCOTUS decision to hear case on NJ discrimination against pregnancy centers f t # Washington,
Jun 18, 2025 | comments Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), a leading prolife lawmaker in the House of Representatives welcomed the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) announcement on Monday that it will hear the case of First Choice Women’s Resource Centers v. Platkin in its upcoming 2025-2026 term. The First Choice Pregnancy Resource Center, located in New Jersey, is challenging an unwarranted subpoena issued by the New Jersey Attorney General on the grounds that the subpoena violates the organization’s constitutional rights and that they have been targeted because of their life-affirming mission and religious speech. “Pregnancy care centers exist to compassionately help women in their time of need through free support and resources, and the fundamental conscience rights, religious rights, and freedom of speech of First Choice Women’s Resource Center must be respected,” said Smith who co-chairs the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, “At the Supreme Court, First Choice Women’s Resource Center will have the opportunity to present its case and help expose the discrimination that they and others have faced simply because of who they are and how they help women and their unborn children in a time of crisis.” Smith is the author of the Let Pregnancy Centers Serve Act of 2025 (HR 2226), federal legislation to prohibit federal, state and local governments from discriminating against the nearly 2,700 pregnancy care centers across the United States.  Smith’s bill, which was introduced at a widely attended Capitol Hill press conference in March , will protect the centers by strengthening federal conscience laws, prohibiting states from requiring pregnancy care centers to be complicit in abortion promotion and identifying mechanisms for relief including compensatory damages. “While pro-abortion legislators and administrations attempt to smear, punish, and distort the work of  pregnancy care centers, the reality is that pregnancy centers are oases of love, compassion, empathy, respect, and quality care for both mothers and their precious children,” said Rep. Smith. “The American people understand the importance of the services that pregnancy centers provide,” said Smith. A January 2025 poll found that 83 percent of Americans support pregnancy care centers, including 80 percent of the individuals who identify as ‘pro-choice.’ Quick Facts on Pregnancy Care Centers Over the course of one year alone ( 2022 ): Pregnancy centers provided more than 3.2 million client sessions and received a 97.4 percent client satisfaction rate. 808,737 clients received free goods and services worth at least $367 million, including packs of diapers, baby formula, baby clothes, new cribs, and strollers. More than 44,900 Americans have volunteered at pregnancy care centers, and over 10,000 medical staff and volunteers provided care to clients, including performing 546,683 free ultrasounds, estimated to be worth $136 million. Over five years, the lives of more than 828,130 unborn babies were saved through the work of pregnancy care centers. ### f t #