St. Louis - March 11, 2009 - Missourians United for Life is urging the Missouri House to reconsider its budget for the successful Alternatives to Abortion program. A current House budget plan reduces funding for the program by more than $184,000.

"Pro-life legislators in the Missouri House have consistently supported this successful pro-life program that helps expectant mothers find alternatives to abortion," said Ed Martin, President of Missourians United for Life. "With the leadership of the previous administration and pro-life leaders in the General Assembly we have come so far in recent years in supporting and increasing funding for this program. Missourians United for Life would ultimately like to see funding for the Alternatives to Abortion increase, but we recognize these are difficult budget times, so we are urging the Missouri House to at least restore funding for the Alternatives to Abortion program to its current level. With the support of the General Assembly we can protect innocent life by helping mothers choose life."

Missourians United for Life is also concerned that Jay Nixon's Administration plans to reverse the previous administration's policy of preventing taxpayer funding from going to abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood.

"Another reason to restore funding for the Alternatives to Abortion program is the very real threat that Jay Nixon and his pro-abortion director of Health and Senior Services, Margaret Donnelly, could resume sending state tax dollars to abortion providers," Martin said. "Jay Nixon and the pro-abortion team he has installed in state government will stop and nothing to support and promote abortion in Missouri which means we have to be even more vigilant in our efforts to help mothers find alternatives such as adoption."

The Alternatives to Abortion Program helps expectant mothers at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. This successful program provides counseling and health care services to assist mothers in carrying their child to term instead of having an abortion. The Alternatives to Abortion program also assists mothers in caring for their child or placing their child for adoption.

To learn more about Missourians United for Life or to join the fight for life go to http://www.MissouriansUnitedforLife.com