Photo from House Health Committee video State Representative Kathy Rapp speaks during a recent House Health Committee hearing held to focus on abortion and pro-life issues.

State Representative Kathy Rapp — chair of the House Health Committee — has kicked off a series of public hearings examining abortion and pro-life issues.

The first session focused on statistics and fetal development.

“The unconscionable, soul-claiming tragedy that occurred at the Gosnell abortion facility in Philadelphia must never be repeated,” Rapp said in a statement announcing the hearing. “Post-Gosnell, the general public needs to know that abortion providers are still largely self-reporting and not aggressively monitored by the PA Department of Health or any other government agency.”

In particular, Rapp is seeking answers regarding the PA Department of Health’s follow-up procedures for abortions performed on children ages 12 or under, and minors up to the age of 17. In all incidents involving the felony offense of rape, these follow-up procedures should include cooperating with law enforcement and issuing counseling referrals.

She said during the hearing that the Department of Health and Attorney General’s office has historically tracked abortion data on girls younger than 12 but asserted that is no longer the case.

“To see that this information is not kept by the department now shows in my opinion an intention to ignore criminal behavior,” Rapp asserted.

She did offer commentary, though, on a decline in overall abortion numbers.

“I do want to say as chairman of the Health Committee and also chairman of the Pro-Life Caucus, I dare say that one of the reasons also that abortions have gone down” are “other providers” — alternative care, pro-life groups and woman’s care centers.

“I have one in my county,” she said of the care centers. Many of these facilities have stepped forward to provide services and care and items that young girls and women (need).”

She said the pro-life community has “stepped up” and “people in our communities have stepped up to help these women in need throughout their pregnancy and after birth. That is one of the reasons that I will give myself as to why. Hopefully we’ve seen abortions go down in our states

She said there were 31,000 abortions in the state “which is higher tham the COVID deaths, not to downplay that at all” in the last year.

“(I am) happy to see the numbers go down. (We) do still have concerns.”