Concern for women’s health and safety should never be worn as a facade. Yet that is precisely how Planned Parenthood has worn it for decades — until now.

At long last, taxpayers are no longer subsidizing that organization’s medical negligence and harm toward women. That is creating room for the kind of authentic care that expectant mothers deserve.

For the first time in history, Congress has defunded Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers in this year’s federal budget. This landmark achievement is a new beginning and sets a crucial precedent to end forced taxpayer funding of the abortion industry.

The pro-life movement is meeting the moment to make sure that every woman contemplating abortion — whether out of perceived necessity or by choice — has access to the expansive safety net of pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes.

These resources deliver genuine care and compassionate services to mothers and their children before, during, and after birth. They protect the physical and mental health of women and the lives of their unborn sons and daughters. This network is what will help honor and protect life, empower women, and strengthen families, now and for years to come.

Since Planned Parenthood announced its plan to build an abortion center in my Texas hometown 27 years ago, I have spoken out about how abortion needlessly wrecks the lives of the women who are told that it will solve their problems. The same people who tell them that lie also tend to discourage them from seeking help from sources better suited to give them peace of mind and body and real support and care.

Nearly 70 percent of women with histories of abortion describe their abortions........

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