By Josh Gottheimer
Last weekend, the South Jersey Times Editorial Board, which is part of NJ Advance Media, wrote a shocking editorial criticizing me for protecting women’s health care and reproductive freedom, after I demanded while standing outside one of New Jersey’s 50 so-called “crisis pregnancy centers” (CPCs) that it be be shut down because of deceptive marketing practices.
This self-declared health care clinic is in Cherry Hill. But CPCs — which are in every one of our 21 counties — pose as places where women who are pregnant can get real counseling and “discuss [their] choices.” In reality, CPCs are ideologically-driven institutions that push their own anti-choice agenda. They admit in fine print at the bottom of their websites that they will “never refer for an abortion” — even in cases of rape, incest, and when the life of the mother is at risk.
Last June, a woman sued a CPC for failing to diagnose her ectopic pregnancy, which resulted in emergency surgery and the loss of her fallopian tube. Many CPCs highlight abortion pill “reversal” — a dangerous medical treatment that gives pregnant women misleading information that an abortion can be undone. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has called this “unproven” and “unethical.” And, whenever possible, they intentionally locate right near Planned Parenthood and other actual abortion-option centers.
Those who back CPCs talk about their early childhood services, including free diapers for struggling mothers. No one opposes that. It’s their deceptive marketing that’s the problem. New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin has issued a consumer alert about their deceptive marketing tactics, warning people that CPCs don’t provide health care. He even launched an investigation of a CPC for alleged violations of New Jersey anti-consumer fraud laws and has issued subpoenas.
Crisis pregnancy centers could give a masterclass in false advertising. The website of a Jersey City CPC features a photo of a woman with a stethoscope — front and center, which suggests that it is operated by a doctor. In actuality, according to the NJ Monitor website, this CPC “asks volunteers…[to] attest to their beliefs that … abortion is unacceptable.”
You can understand why women might go to a so-called crisis pregnancy center thinking they will get real reproductive medical care and counseling. But, in reality, they mislead patients, steering women away from the full range of health care choices available to them, and put their lives and safety at risk. That’s why I’ve been so focused in Congress on stopping CPCs and their intentionally deceptive practices.
First, I’m helping lead the drive to pass the Stop Anti-Abortion Disinformation Act, which directs the Federal Trade Commission to prohibit deceptive advertising about abortion and health care services. When the FTC determines they are lying to women, it will have the authority to hold them accountable.
Second, I’ve urged the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to end taxpayer funding of CPCs. In 2022, eight states bankrolled these centers with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) grants.
Third, I’ve joined Gov. Phil Murphy and scores of women’s groups to make the strong case that no judges, legislative bodies, or newspaper editorial boards should ever get between a woman, her doctor, and her faith. That includes CPCs’ dangerously deceptive practices; as well as attempts to block in-vitro fertilization; restrict mifepristone, an FDA-approved pill whose uses include medically induced abortion; and enactment of unacceptable timetables for when a woman can get an abortion.
The editorial stated that “both sides need to tone down the rhetoric” about CPCs. I couldn’t disagree more. This is too important to lower the volume. There is no middle ground on reproductive freedom. With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, there is no room to “both sides” protecting reproductive freedom. You either believe that choice lies with a woman, or it doesn’t.
One thing is clear: CPCs can’t stay open, as is, posing as health care centers. If they want to provide advice and counseling to new parents, I’ll support that. But they can’t claim to offer a full array of choices to pregnant women, deploy delay tactics and lie to advance their ideological agenda.
So, to NJ Advance Media and everyone else reading this: When it comes to reproductive freedom, I will never back down or apologize for my position. And, I will ensure that New Jersey is always a place that women can make their own health care decisions.
U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat, represents New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District and is co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.
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Editor’s note: To clarify, our editorial supported the Stop Anti-Abortion Disinformation Act, and the use of other consumer protection laws to halt deceptive claims by operators of CPCs. The editorial was critical of Gottheimer’s calls for them to be shut down entirely, or somehow restrict their locations or names.
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