The U.S. Supreme Court has again allowed the controversial Texas heartbeat law to stay in effect even with lawsuits piling up against it.
The court, which allowed the lawsuits against the measure to proceed, will be expediting the latest challenge and will begin hearing arguments on November 1. The Texas heartbeat bill is one of the U.S.' most restrictive abortion bans, as it prohibits abortion as soon as a fetal heartbeat is detected, around six weeks of pregnancy, a period during which women are yet unaware that they are carrying a child.
According to CBN News, the U.S. Department of Justice has sued to overturn the Texas heartbeat law, causing the Supreme Court justices on Friday to decide if the federal government actually has the right to sue over the controversial Texas abortion ban. The Lone Star's heartbeat bill appears to be a success, however, as it caused an 80% reduction in abortions in the country's second largest state.
"Abortion is our leading cause of death, killing more people than heart disease, cancer, or COVID-19," pro-life group Live Action founder Lila Rose declared. "With unprecedented attacks on human life coming from the highest levels of our federal government, it is more critical than ever that we stand for justice and unite for the lives of children."
Rose reported that up to 2,363 children are "killed by the violence of abortion" in the U.S., arguing that "human life begins at the moment of fertilization, when a unique, individual human life with his or her own genetic code comes into existence."
The Live Action founder added that as early as 21 days from the moment the sperm fertilizes the egg, the child's heart will begin to beat and by six weeks, brain waves begin to develop. At nine weeks or a little above two months, the baby is able to move his or her arms and legs and even hiccup.
"The mass killing of the innocent through abortion is the greatest crisis we face as human beings," Rose remarked, underscoring the violence of how babies in the wom are "torn into pieces," "torn limb from torso by forceps while still alive," have their "skulls...crushed, or stabbked in the heart or head."
But Texas pro-life charities are optimistic that the Supreme Court landmark decision on Roe v. Wade, which legalizes abortion across the U.S., will soon be taken down. In fact, such charities have seen an uptick in visits from pregnant women who can no longer legally obtain an abortion under the Texas heartbeat law.
Fox News reported that Loveline, a Houston-based charity founded by former Planned Parenthood director Abby Johnson, observed a 50% nationwide increase in calls just a month after the Texas heartbeat law took effect on September 1. Up to 33% of callers came from Texas.
Meanwhile, the Houston Pregnancy Help Center (HPHC) also recorded increases in several categories from September 2020 to September 2021. It reported a 50% increase in ultrasounds, 42% increase in client visits, and 20% increase in pregnancy tests performed among "abortion-minded" or "abortion-vulnerable" clients and among women who chose not to go through an abortion.
Such groups, like many other pro-life charities and organizations in the state, offer material and financial help such as rental assistance, housing, utilities, and others to women in crisis pregnancies.
In 2019, the Lone Star state had about 200 pregnancy help centers, which together spent an estimated $33 million in materials and services to support 180,000 women, men, youth and families. HPHC and like-minded clinics and facilities also employ medical staff and mental health professionals.
As Texas pro-life charities see an uptick in services and questions over the legal status of abortion in the state, Loveline's Pam Whitehead said that "In the month of October, so far the numbers are even greater every week...For instance just this week we had 46 women reach out for help. That is not typical. Usually we see 15 a week. The numbers are steadily increasing."
The Houston-based Loveline reported that it spent $105,000 in baby registries and household goods from January to September 2021. It also provided 254 hours of therapy, more than $9,000 in scholarships for single moms, $74,777 in rental assistance and served more than 437 women this year alone. The most important is that they have claimed to have saved 11 babies from abortion.
