GOP senator's bill would give pro-life pregnancy centers security upgrades amid attacks

FIRST ON FOX: Idaho Senator James Risch, a Republican, is introducing a bill into the upper chamber to give pro-life pregnancy centers security upgrades amid a spate of attacks. 

Risch dropped the Pregnancy Center Security Act on Tuesday afternoon after the multiple targeted attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year.

"Under the Biden administration, the fight to protect life has become increasingly dangerous," Risch told Fox News Digital. "Pro-life pregnancy centers across the nation, which provide vital resources for women, the unborn, and our communities, have become targets for violent attacks."

MOTHERS SHARE HOW CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTERS HELPED THEM WALK AWAY FROM ABORTION: ‘HUGE ENLIGHTENMENT’

"To ensure these life-saving centers can continue to safely operate, the Pregnancy Center Security Act would create a grant program to enable security upgrades," the Idaho Republican continued.

"While the fight for life is far from over, the Pregnancy Center Security Act is a step in the right direction to ensure those on the frontlines protecting life are safe," he added.

"Pregnancy centers offer hope and support for women, girls, and their unborn children. It’s offensive for these facilities to be threatened by violence and vandalism, and I fully support this legislation to help protect them and the good work they are doing," Senate Pro-Life Caucus chairwoman Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., said.

"Their protection represents a new responsibility in a post-Roe America as more pregnancy centers are established across the country to support mothers and their babies," Hyde-Smith said.

"Expectant mothers should not fear for their safety when receiving medical assistance and counseling," Senator Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, said. "Political extremists across the country have made it clear that they will continue to intimidate those who visit and work at these pregnancy centers as well as continue to carry out violent attacks. This bill would provide much-needed security upgrades to these centers in Idaho and across the country, providing safety and peace of mind to health care personnel and their patients."

"The Biden Administration has demonized pro-life pregnancy centers as part of its pro-abortion crusade. These centers are vital for mothers and new families, and they should be protected from violent attacks," Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said.

Penny Nance, Concerned Women for America's president and CEO, told Fox News Digital, "Pregnancy-help organizations provide free medical assistance, education, job training and a host of resources to women in need."

"These centers operate through charitable contributions and are vital to the communities they serve," Nance said. "Unfortunately, after the Dobb’s decision was leaked, numerous pregnancy-help organizations were vandalized, firebombed, and even destroyed."

"The grants provided through this legislation will allow these organizations to implement security upgrades to ensure their employees and facilities are always kept safe, in order to continue serving women and their communities," she added.

"Pregnancy care centers are a shining beacon to women and families who find themselves in a tough situation," CatholicVote director of government affairs Tom McClusky told Fox News Digital. "These centers go above and beyond the call of duty, providing services such as free pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, counseling, and education."

"In return, they have been attacked by Democratic politicians and targeted with violence and destruction by pro-abortion zealots," McClusky continued. "Joe Biden's Justice Department has made it clear they have no interest in protecting these maternity homes, we applaud Senator Risch for stepping in to protect these valuable resources."

Fox News Digital exclusively obtained Risch’s bill, which aims to establish a grant program to put in security upgrades, such as surveillance systems, for organizations helping with pregnancies.

Additionally, the bill would prohibit the grant money from going to organizations that encourage, provide, assist, prescribe, counsel, or refer mothers for an abortion.

Several pro-life organizations support the bill, including the Family Research Council, Heartbeat International, CatholicVote, SBA Pro-Life America, Students for Life Action, and others.

Pro-life crisis pregnancy centers have endured vandalism and attacks at the hands of ravenous protesters angered by the overturn of Roe v. Wade and the events leading up to it.

These centers have been villainized by Democrats, but mothers who've been helped by them say nothing could be further from the truth.

Alana Jenkins, a mother of five including her youngest, Rip, said she considered abortion when she was unexpectedly pregnant with her first but chose to keep her child after visiting with Life First, a pregnancy center in Manassas, Virginia.

Niya, a mother helped by Capitol Hill Pregnancy Center in Washington, D.C., initially visited to find out if she was pregnant. After confirming she was pregnant, the center gave her counseling and resources.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Niya was considering abortion at first, as she felt she "wasn’t ready" to be a mother, but knew she had to "get ready" and decided to keep her baby, Amara, after visiting with Maloney.

The team at Capitol Hill Pregnancy Center explained all the options for her baby that Niya could choose, such as raising the child or placing the child up for adoption, instead of going through an abortion.