Leading Pro-Choice Groups Support Lawmaker’s Bill

Requiring Truth in Family Planning Advertising

Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney has introduced the “Stop Deceptive Advertising for Women’s Services Act” (H.R. 2478) to crack down on the brazen false advertising tactics of some deceptive, radical anti-choice Crisis Pregnancy Centers, or CPCs.  Some federally funded crisis pregnancy centers have been proven to advertise false information about the services they provide in order to lure women seeking abortion information and then talk them out of the procedure.  

“Although I may disagree with their views, many crisis pregnancy centers are forthright and respectful and they have a right to exist.  Unfortunately, some take a more underhanded approach to lure in women seeking abortions by using tactics that should be illegal,” said Maloney.  “Many women who face unwanted pregnancies find themselves in a very difficult, very personal situation.  They shouldn’t have to face the added stress of deciphering whether or not the clinic they choose offers legitimate medical services.”

Maloney’s bill would require the Federal Trade Commission to create rules that prohibit any person from advertising, with the intent to deceive the public into believing an organization is a provider of abortion services, if they don’t in fact provide abortion services.  The bill makes it clear that the FTC has the authority to penalize or take corrective action against organizations that purport to provide abortion services, even if they are non-profits and provide their services for free.

“People need to know the truth about Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs).  Most do not offer comprehensive reproductive health care options or medically accurate information,” said Vicki Saporta, President and CEO of the National Abortion Federation (NAF).  “CPCs should be prohibited from engaging in deceptive advertising practices, and Representative Maloney’s bill is an important step toward achieving this goal.”

“New York City has seen firsthand how crisis pregnancy centers deliberately confuse women by establishing themselves near legitimate reproductive health care centers.  These fake clinics have opened in close proximity to our Brooklyn and Bronx centers, misleading clients seeking the unbiased care that Planned Parenthood provides.  Planned Parenthood knows that women are completely capable of making the best decision for themselves and their families - without coercion, intimidation or lies. We provide our patients with a full range of medically accurate information about our services, as well as comprehensive unbiased counseling on all pregnancy options, including carrying a pregnancy to term, adoption, and abortion.  As health care providers you need to be honest with your patients.  Fake clinics are not honest.  They are not health care providers and they need to stop pretending to be,” said Joan Malin, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of New York City.

Background:

Click here for text of the Stop Deceptive Advertising for Women’s Services Act (H.R. 2478).

Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Henry Waxman (D-CA) released an investigation last July detailing the use of misinformation to convince pregnant women not to have an abortion (click here to read the report).  Waxman’s investigation detailed how some federally-funded CPCs misled investigators about the consequences of abortions.  Staff at these centers told investigators, who posed as pregnant 17-year-olds, that abortion leads to breast cancer, infertility, and mental illness. Many Crisis Pregnancy Centers have received large sums on federal funds since the beginning of the Bush administration.

Maloney’s Stop Deceptive Advertising for Women’s Services Act was first introduced in the 109^th Congress (click here for more information). 

In the 110^th Congress, Maloney’s bill is being sponsored by Reps. Howard Berman (CA-28), Lois Capps (CA-23), Barney Frank (MA-4), Raul Grijalva (AZ-7), Rush Holt (NJ-12), Betty McCollum (MN-4) Jim McDermott (WA-7), James McGovern (MA-3), Gwen Moore (WI-4), Steven Rothman (NJ-9), Janice Schakowsky (IL-9), and Robert Wexler (FL-19).