For Immediate Release

STATEMENT BY CHRISTOPHER BELL

Elected officials should be uplifting and respectful of all people, regardless of their political, religious or cultural differences. Elected officials, especially, should not condemn charities that offer free support and life-saving help toward poor women and children.

At a press conference on October 6, Congressman Josh Gottheimer broke all the rules of respect and showed contempt for organizations made up mostly of volunteers. These organizations do not use tax-payer money to assist any of the women they serve – women who are mostly young, mostly minorities, mostly struggling economically.

It is outrageous that anyone, much less a Congressman, should lie and disparage such good people and their extremely helpful missions because he disagrees that pregnant women should have a choice.

Gottheimer, without ever having spoken to a pregnancy center worker or volunteer in New Jersey, held a press conference calling such centers “deceptive” because he doesn’t believe pregnant women in NJ should be given facts about fetal development. It is sad that he doesn’t believe pregnant women should be given support not to have an abortion. It is clear that he doesn’t believe pregnant women are capable of making up their own minds about the baby they carry before birth.

According to an analysis by the Charlotte Lozier Institute, pregnancy resource centers have helped save more than 800,000 unborn babies nationwide from abortion since 2016. The research found the charity organizations served about 2 million people in 2019 alone, providing more than 730,000 pregnancy tests, nearly half a million ultrasounds, 1.3 million packs of diapers and more than 2 million baby outfits, all for free. All without taxpayer money.

In New Jersey, thousands of women and children are helped each year through pregnancy centers and other prolife organizations which don’t believe abortion is healthy for a woman, but rather, that it always kills a child in the womb.

As the founder and director of homes for homeless, pregnant women and children, I receive hundreds of calls from such pregnancy centers and together we lift women out of horrible, often violent situations, and see such women before and after birth make great strides in their lives economically, socially and spiritually.

Gottheimer owes an apology to all pregnancy centers and to all those in his district who support the good work of pregnancy centers throughout the State and beyond.

Peace,
Christopher Bell
President and Co-Founder
Good Counsel, Inc.
Homes and Programs for Homeless Mothers and Babies.