Morna Murray: “Two Senators – one pro-life and one pro-choice – Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced an amendment based upon the Pregnant Women Support Act (a bill introduced by Senator Casey), which was included and appropriated by the ACA (meaning it was automatically funded upon passage of the law).  This is extremely rare – typically a law must go through a rigorous appropriations process, and often is severely defunded or even dismantled.  The Pregnant Women Support Act was renamed the Pregnancy Assistance Fund when housed at the Health and Human Services Administration.  Seventeen states and 13 Indian tribes received 3-year funding in 2010 to find innovative ways to help pregnant women and teens get good prenatal care and maintain healthy pregnancies while continuing their education, obtaining job skills, getting housing or childcare assistance, receiving protection from domestic abuse, among other vital avenues of assistance.  In other words, a pro-life Senator and a pro-choice Senator came together to agree upon much-needed assistance for vulnerable pregnant women and teens who wanted to continue their pregnancies and give their children the best chance possible.  This was codified into law and actually funded, for $250 million over 10 years, with passage of the ACA.”