Some members of the Northeast Philadelphia Pro-Life Coalition gathered outside state Rep. Pat Gallagher’s office to protest his recent vote in favor of H.B. 1957, a proposed amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution that would allow women to choose an abortion.
In Pennsylvania, abortion is legal through the 23rd week of pregnancy and later, if the mother has severe health issues.
Pennsylvania’s law was not affected by the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the U.S. Constitution does not grant a right to abortion.
The gathering outside Gallagher’s office at 8760 Frankford Ave. took place on Jan. 23, the same day as the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C.
The group prayed and held signs such as, “Rep. Gallagher sold his soul to the late-term abortion industry” and, “Rep. Gallagher, Let me Live!,” accompanied by an image of a baby in a womb.
The House voted 102-101 in favor of the abortion amendment, with two Democrats voting against it and two Republicans voting for it.
The bill must pass the House and Senate in two consecutive sessions before the voters would decide whether to amend the state Constitution.
“Allow the voters to decide,” said Gallagher, who was not at his office when the protest took place.
The voters will probably not be deciding, one way or the other, until at least 2029, since Republicans control the Senate, 27-23, and will likely ignore H.B. 1957.
Democrats are hoping to win control of the Senate in the November election.
“If the Democrats ever took over the Senate, this would pass,” warned Mike McMonagle, a longtime local pro-life leader.
McMonagle has been around long enough to remember a time when a lot of Democrats were pro-life. He was hoping Gallagher, who served as chief of staff to his predecessor, Mike Driscoll, would share Driscoll’s pro-life views.
“Just because you’re a Democrat doesn’t mean you have to be pro-abortion,” McMonagle said.
McMonagle said the bill would allow abortion up to the time of birth, since it allows a woman to not only claim the pregnancy would harm her physical health, but also her mental health.
McMonagle said the bill would also eliminate a restriction on Medicaid funding of abortions and a requirement for parental consent for minors.
Gallagher said it’s “absolutely false” that the bill would expand abortion until the time of birth.
“The law’s not changing,” he said. ••
