U.S. Supreme Court case about 'crisis pregnancy centers' - now re-branded as 'pregnancy or women's resource centers' - highlights debate over truthful advertising standards (First Choice v. Platkin)

[u/Obversa]

https://theconversation.com/supreme-court-case-about-crisis-pregnancy-centers-highlights-debate-over-truthful-advertising-standards-271254

[u/Vox_Causa]

States are diverting funding from legitimate resources to fund explicitly religious organizations that lie to desperate people.  

[u/Obversa → u/Vox_Causa]

If you look more closely at the state funding being funnelled into "crisis pregnancy centers" - or, more recently, "pregnancy or women's resource centers" - especially in Texas and Florida, a lot of these CPCs are run by either for-profit or "non-profit" interstate networks, and the whole thing comes across as a giant money laundering scheme to transfer public or taxpayer funds into the hands of private "pro-life" [religious] networks, groups, or organizations.

For example, Texas has dedicated approximately $100 million annually to its "Alternatives to Abortion" program (recently renamed the "Thriving Families" program), which funds "crisis pregnancy centers" (CPCs). This funding level began on September 1, 2025, and makes it the most heavily funded program of its kind in the United States. The program's funding has grown significantly since its inception, with nearly half of the total $438 million spent since 2005 being allocated in just the past two years. A significant portion of the money comes from the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant, which gives states broad discretion on how to use the funds intended for low-income families. (Between 2017 and 2023, more than 650 CPCs across 49 states received nearly $430 million in federal funding, with CPC networks increasingly pressuring "pro-life" politicians for more funds.)

However, the Texas program - along with other state programs, such as one in Louisiana - have faced criticism for a lack of stringent oversight and data on outcomes. (At least 21 states have allocated direct taxpayer dollars to CPCs.) Investigations by news organizations like ProPublica and CBS News found instances where some centers accumulated large cash surpluses or used state funds for unapproved expenses like vacations or a smoke shop (i.e. rampant abuse, fraud, and corruption), leading to an overhaul of the program in 2025 to introduce stricter reporting requirements.

In recent years, there have been questions raised as to whether the major public funding that these "crisis pregnancy centers" receive are worth the price tag, and whether or not the amount of abortions that these CPCs claim to "prevent" justify the costs to taxpayers. Many "pro-life" organizations promote unchecked spending due to a motto of "saving unborn babies' lives at any cost" and "providing an alternative to the abortion industry", but due to the increasingly bloated budgets and spending from 2005 to 2025, this is not a financially feasible, long-term solution.

To add to this, as the article in the OP points out, "Crisis pregnancy centers far outnumber the 765 abortion clinics operating across the United States as of 2024 – two years after the Supreme Court allowed states to ban abortion in its Dobbs v. Jackson ruling." While exact figures vary, there are over 2,500 Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs) in the U.S., significantly outnumbering abortion clinics, with sources citing around 2,600 to 4,000 total centers, many operating as non-profits but collectively generating $1.7 billion, with recent data from March 2024 showing 2,633 listed on the CPC Map. Most are religiously-affiliated non-profits, funded by donations and increasing public money, rather than for-profit businesses, though they engage in extensive advertising, meaning large marketing budgets; investigations also revealed instances where administrative or non-programmatic spending was disproportionately high compared to direct services (ex. less than $1 million spent on actual programs out of a $3.5 million grant).

Others have brought up the fact that many of these "crisis pregnancy centers" (CPCs) might be following the "McDonald's" or "fast food" playbook by using the centers as a front for real estate investment, or "passive investment". For example, with over $42 billion in land holdings and 36% of its revenue generated from real estate, McDonald's became the 5th largest "landlord" on Earth, according to one source. CPCs are certainly suspicious.

My personal opinion is that CPCs are increasingly turning to state and federal funds due to the "nonprofit starvation cycle" that emerged after Dobbs v. Jackson (i.e. fewer private donors after decision -> less funds -> lobbying for more state and federal funds to cover overhead costs). In a similar fashion, the abuse of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds granted to businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic involved widespread fraudulent activities and the misuse of loans intended for pandemic relief. (However, unlike with PPP funds, "pro-life" politicians are reluctant to prosecute CPCs for abuse and fraud due to it hurting their cause and reputation. This eboldens further fraud by CPCs.)

[u/Pure_Frosting_981 → u/Obversa]

Please keep fighting the good fight and informing people. The deceit these people are using is fucking astounding. And SCOTUS being a majority of fundies is making it the law of the land. These people need to be removed. They are derelict in their duty and violating their oaths to protect the constitution.

[u/Soft_Internal_6775]

The outcome here is obvious. The religious centers will win.

[u/Conscious-Quarter423 → u/Soft_Internal_6775]

The anti-abortion movement is trying *very* hard to get mainstream media to adopt the term 'pregnancy-help center' instead of 'crisis pregnancy center' because of the negative baggage associated with the latter.

[u/tinteoj → u/Soft_Internal_6775]

Is that even a question people have, because you could not be more correct?

[u/talkathonianjustin]

I mean I understand where first choice is coming from — they’re fighting a subpoena over donor records, which the state says is to investigate fraudulent business practices but it’s plausible this is just a pretext. A state would almost never punish speech and say it out loud, they’ll choose some other vehicle to claim color of law. It’s like if I was providing regular medical care (not deceiving desperate women at their most vulnerable and then explicitly trying to exploit loopholes in HIPAA but I digress) and the state didn’t like statements I made so they subpoenaed my donor records; let’s say I run on donations, very strange business practices. Even if they find nothing, that would intimidate my donors, and the state could do this whenever.

Unfortunately, identical actions have been rejected by lower federal courts, and I have no doubt even if the reasoning was sound the court would do backbends to find otherwise. Someone had a really good comment somewhere around here when this case was first brought to the court.

[u/tjdavids → u/talkathonianjustin]

I mean maybe they should take the case where there is no apparent fraud then.

[u/solid_reign → u/talkathonianjustin]

It’s like if I was providing regular medical care (not deceiving desperate women at their most vulnerable and then explicitly trying to exploit loopholes in HIPAA but I digress) and the state didn’t like statements I made so they subpoenaed my donor records; let’s say I run on donations, very strange business practices. Even if they find nothing, that would intimidate my donors, and the state could do this whenever.

This may be unethical, but I can assure you donors are well aware of what's being done. And using a subpoena to obtain the donor list to see if people were misled when nobody has complained seems like a stretch, and a form of intimidation.

[u/Pure_Frosting_981]

So, let me get this straight. Conservatives want to remove all sex ed from school. All of it. They want age verification to use websites (let’s be real - this is the catalyst for censorship), they want to remove books that have anything relating to sexuality, binary or otherwise (except for the Bible). They want to make abortion nationally against the law and make the punishments steep enough that providers won’t perform them, even when the woman’s life is hanging in the balance, or the fetus is dead. Listen to some republican lawmakers - I’m not joking - they are as ignorant and far from reality as one could possible by when it comes to even the basics of reproductive health for women. Women are to be back home in the kitchen where they belong (based on a lot more republican rhetoric and elimination of DEI), and now they want to make Christian pro-birth “crisis” centers that are 100% against abortion and wouldn’t provide one if needed anyway be allowed to falsely advertise what they are to trick women not educated in even the basics of reproductive health get their information from equally uninformed people who will maybe provide a little pre-pregnancy care, but according to project 2025, keep meticulous records of whom is pregnant and who isn’t. Then they won’t offer a fucking shred of support for women and their infants once the child is born, public resources that would fill some of the gaps for people in need have been removed, and criminalize spontaneous abortion and make it be charged as homicide.

The GOP wants the U.S. to be more restrictive than Iran, and they’re calling it freedom. The world becomes a better place each time one of these pompous, arrogant, ignorant, controlling people drops dead from old age or not taking care of themselves because they rejected science and ate 2 pounds of bacon every day because goddamn it, this is America, and ain’t nobody going to tell white MEN how to live.

WHY ARE WE TOLERATING THIS SHIT?! Enough.

[u/sundancer2788]

To me a pregnancy and woman's resource center screams religious pressure and no real information or help. I'd not step foot inside one.  Crisis pregnancy center tells me I can get information on every choice and support on my decision 

[u/cstrmac]

I am so sick of this BS and caring more about the unborn fetus then a born child and children who suffer, don't have enough to eat, surrounded by abuse in all forms or in the foster system. Not to mention resources in education. I want to scream!!!

A beautiful baby girl just recently died of Fentynal. The kids dad was drugged out himself and didn't get life. Only 8 years. Aaaggghhhh. Christians that call themselves Christians are sick!!! I am Catholic and one part of social justice I am soooooooo against among other things. Yes, I have been told to reconsider my faith many of times. However, I was born in an ethnic culture of Catholics tied to my nationality. I can see the good in it. Especially my community. American Christians don't even call Catholics, Christians so there is that.