Mamdani pledges millions per year for ‘baby boxes’ while targeting pro-life pregnancy centers

NEW YORK — The incoming socialist mayor of New York City is pledging to spend millions to provide every new mother in the city a starting basket of baby supplies, even as he threatens to expand abortion and curtail pro-life pregnancy centers already supporting parents without government funding.

Elected earlier this month in a race that generated significant national interest and unconventional bedfellows, Zohran Mamdani has sparked panic for the Big Apple’s future given his self-identification as a “democratic socialist” and his closeness to radical Islamist organizations and groups, prompting even many Republicans and conservatives to pull for left-wing former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent, to win, largely dismissing any hope for GOP nominee Curtis Sliwa, who lagged behind both in the polls.

During the campaign, Mamdani promised that his administration would “provide new parents and guardians” of all 125,000 babies annually born in the city “with a collection of essential goods and resources, free of charge, including items like diapers, baby wipes, nursing pads, post-partum pads, swaddles, and books,” as well as “a resource guide of information on the City’s newborn home visiting program, breastfeeding, post-partum depression and more.” He projected the cost of the program at below $20 million a year. ---More...