Dear Pro-Life Friends:
Review and Update
On December 17, 2025, the Pa. House passed H.B.1957, by a 102-101 vote, which would create a "right to abortion" in the Pa. Constitution. All but two of the 102 Pa. House Democrats (D) voted for this Bill. Reps. Frank Burns (Johnstown area) and Anita Kulik (Pittsburgh area) voted against it. All but two of the Pa. House Republicans (R) voted against it. Joseph Hogan (Langhorne area of Bucks County) and Kathleen Tomlinson (Bensalem area of Bucks Count) voted for it.
The Pa. Senate President, Sen. Kim Ward, has assigned this Bill to the Pa. Senate State Government Committee, where it will not be considered during the 2025-2026 term.
Nevertheless, for reasons that I will later describe, the Pa. pro-life movement, particularly in Southeast Pa., needs to respond to this sobering and potentially deadly development with renewed, effective, and ongoing zeal.
The Current Status of Abortion in Pennsylvania
Under current law, abortion is legal in Pa. up to 24-weeks gestation and until birth under exceptions for preventing "the death of the mother" or "loss of major bodily function." Since this law took effect in 1994, the Pa. Department of Health (DOH) has not reported any abortions being committed after 24-weeks gestation. According to the DOH, there were 32,946 abortions committed in Pa. in 2024.
This total is a decline of 2,466 fewer abortions from 2023. We do not know if this decline reflects the use of abortion drugs obtained at a pharmacy or through the mail.
Each of the current abortion restrictions enacted in Pa., viz., Medicaid funding in 1985 and informed consent and parental consent in 1994 has resulted in a sustained decline of at least 5,000 abortions annually. Specifically, abortions in Pa. declined from 59,258 in 1984 to 53,465 in 1985. Abortions in Pa. again declined from 47,926 in 1993 to 41,645 in 1994. So, these restrictions have saved at least 350,000 mothers and children from abortion in Pa.
The Likely Impact of Creating a "Right to Abortion" in the Pennsylvania Constitution
The enactment of a "right to abortion" Amendment would likely eliminate these restrictions. Abortions would then likely increase annually by at least 10,000 in Pa. Such an amendment would prevent any future pro-life majority in the Pa. House and Senate and pro-life Governor from increasing legal protections for children in the womb and their mothers without first repealing this Amendment.
Such repealing would be a very difficult process with the most difficult part being winning a statewide referendum. Based on recent experience in several other States - and in some recent statewide elections in Pa. - success would require raising $10-15 million to refute the highly deceptive television ads that would be run by the Culture of Death Forces, as well as the continual media bias.
Do Not Be Fooled by the Fake Amendment
In an attempt to mitigate the charge that this Bill would legalize abortion until birth, Rep. Tomlinson and her pro-abortion Democrat allies passed an amendment to this Bill, which allegedly allows Pa. to still ban "post-viability" abortions. However, this amendment would still legalize such abortions if expectant mothers claim a totally subjective "mental distress" exception.
The Reasons for the Importance of Responding to this Pennsylvania House Vote
If the Ds ever took control of the Pa. Senate by gaining two seats (Pa. currently has a D Lt. Governor) this Amendment would likely pass the Pa. Senate, as all Ds are very likely to support it.
This Pa. House passage indicates that the Culture of Death forces are currently demonstrating more zeal for killing children in the womb and harming their mothers than Culture of Life forces are demonstrating to protect them. They are not satisfied with the status of abortion in Pa.
Support in the Pa. House and Senate for expanding the killing of children and harming their mothers is mostly a Southeast Pa. and Catholic problem. Most of the state legislators from Southeast Pa. vote pro-abortion and many represent Districts with a relatively large Catholic population, who have been mostly silent about their legislators' pro-abortion votes.
The pro-life movement in Pa., again, especially in Southeast Pa., needs to correct a chronic omission. Given the many recent years of R majorities in the Pa. House and Senate, we have focused our efforts on persuading sometimes reluctant R legislators to support pro-life legislative initiatives. We have failed to regularly generate challenges to pro-abortion D legislators, again, especially in Districts with relatively large Catholic populations. This failure only encourages the R "squishes" to consider voting pro-abortion.
Some Context Regarding Rep. Kathleen Tomlinson
Rep. Kathleen Tomlinson's vote proved particularly disconcerting. Her predecessor in this District, Rep. Gene DiGirolamo (now a Bucks County Commissioner), and her dad, Sen. Tommy Tomlinson, compiled a consistently pro-life record, while representing the Bensalem area and other parts of Bucks County.
I led the efforts of our local pro-life movement to support her in a March 2020 Special Election and our Pro-Life Voter's Guide in subsequent elections encouraged support for her candidacy. Although she avoided labeling herself "pro-life" or "pro-choice," she did indicate that she would (and did) vote in support of some issues of concern to the Pa. pro-life movement.
Refuting Her Argument for Her Vote
She recently provided this argument to a local pro-life activist. Her argument is that this Amendment will not pass the Pa. Senate. So, since she represents a "pro-choice District," she voted for this Amendment to help herself win re-election. However, if a realistic chance existed that the Amendment would pass the Pa. Senate, she would "vote her heart" without identifying what her "heart vote" would be.
In temporal terms, the political reality that her dad, and her immediate predecessor, have won numerous elections to represent this District, on a consistently pro-life record, and she has won four elections on a mixed record, refute her alleged "re-election concern."
In spiritual terms, concern for the fate of her immortal soul (Matthew 16:26, "What does it profit a man...") refutes her "re-election concern argument."
Our Proposed Responses
Pro-life leaders and activists in Bucks County and Northeast Philadelphia are planning several ongoing activities to respond to this pro-abortion vote by some of their Pa. House Members. Please contact local leaders and/or me if you wish to participate in these activities.
1. These activities commence with a Public Witness at the District Offices of two of these Southeast Pa. pro-abortion Pa. House Members on Friday, January 23, 2026.
A. From 10:00-11:00 AM at Rep. Kathleen Tomlinson's Office at 2424 Bristol Road, Bensalem, PA 19020.
B. From 12:00 Noon-1:00 PM at Rep. Patrick Gallagher's Office at 8760 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19136.
Some recommendations regarding directions and parking will be available soon. I am also attaching a draft of a handout for distribution at the Rep. Tomlinson event. I am preparing a similar one for the Rep. Gallagher event.
2. All recipients of this correspondence can communicate with their Pa. House Member and either thank or admonish him or her for their vote on H.B.1957.
3. We are also planning outreaches to the Republican Committeemen in Rep. Tomlinson's District and the regular distribution of flyers to constituents in these Districts.
Responding to One Objection
In our nascent efforts to motivate Catholics and other Christians to properly respond to this December 17, 2025 Pa. House vote, we have encountered an objection of "I do not want to become involved in politics."
Our website will soon have a two-and-a-half-page response to this objection. In summary,
1. The opposite of "politics" is tyranny.
2. "Politics" provides the opportunity to fulfill, at least in part, the Great Commission and to care for our Lord's "Least of These."
3. The forces of the Culture of Death have faithfully, zealously, and successfully used "politics" to attack the right to life of children in the womb, the elderly, the disabled and the terminally ill.
Sunday, January 18, 2026 Chester County March For Life
The Chester County March For Life occurs on Sunday, January 18, 2026 in West Chester. It commences with at 2:30 PM Rally at St. Agnes Church, which is followed by a March to the Historic Chester County Courthouse at Market and High Streets. A reception follows at the nearby Knights of Columbus Hall at 110 Market Street.
I am attaching a flyer about this event.
Conclusion
Thank you for reading this correspondence. Please participate in some of these upcoming activities.
Best wishes,
Mike McMonagle
President
Pro-Life Coalition of Pennsylvania
215-393-3610
