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Investigations

Texas funnels millions to anti-abortion groups with little oversight

Texas leads the nation in funding for crisis pregnancy centers. But they’re riddled with waste, a ProPublica and CBS News investigation found.

By Cassandra Jaramillo, Jeremy Kohler and Sophie Chou, ProPublica, and Jessica Kegu, CBS News
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Funding for Texas’ anti-abortion program has skyrocketed

As they restricted access to abortion, lawmakers also poured money into a program that was first called Alternatives to Abortion and recently rebranded as Thriving Texas Families. The program funds counseling, baby items and brochures, but not medical care.

Roe v. Wade overturned in June 2022

Texas passes six-week abortion ban in Sept. 2021

Funding for Alternatives to Abortion

Funding for Alternatives

to Abortion

Texas passes six-week abortion ban in Sept. 2021

Roe v. Wade overturned in June 2022

Texas taxpayers gave one crisis pregnancy center $3.5 million over three years. It spent less than $1 million on programs.

The nonprofit McAllen Pregnancy Center is a case study showing how anti-abortion centers can amass a surplus from the Alternatives to Abortion program, which is now called Thriving Texas Families.

$981,000

Program expenses

$605,000

Other expenses

$3.5 million

Revenue from the Texas
Pregnancy Care Network

$2.1 million

Surplus

$182,000

Revenue from other sources

$182,000

Revenue from other sources

$3.5 million

Revenue from the Texas Pregnancy Care Network

$2.1 million

Surplus

$605,000

Other expenses

$981,000

Program expenses


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Health care State government Abortion Health And Human Services Commission