Pregnant Students' Rights Act
Floor Speech
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Ms. UNDERWOOD. Madam Speaker, I stand in strong opposition to H.R. 6914, the reproductive misinformation in higher education act.
Just days before the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, this legislation is the latest in extreme MAGA Republicans' assault on comprehensive reproductive healthcare services in America, including abortion.
Abortion is healthcare, and we must ensure that everyone who needs it has access to the full range of reproductive healthcare services they deserve.
Let me say that again for the people in the back: Abortion is healthcare, and Americans have been clear that they want reproductive freedom for all.
Yet, the Republican majority continues to spend week after week in the House pushing their extreme anti-choice and antifreedom agenda.
Let's not forget, as Republicans ignore calls for reproductive freedom, they are ignoring the tragic realities that moms and expectant moms face every day. American families are being torn apart by our country's maternal mortality crisis and with the highest maternal mortality rate of any high-income country.
Instead of addressing the urgency of this crisis and providing moms with the healthcare and resources they need to thrive, my colleagues are advancing legislation that would do the exact opposite. Despite its misleading name, this bill makes access to reproductive care even more difficult for women who need it.
It is a new year, but the extreme MAGA agenda has stayed the same: erode our freedoms and restrict abortion rights despite the suffering that is happening all over our country in a post-Dobbs world.
Instead of passing legislation that will fund the government throughout 2024, they are using these precious hours before a government shutdown to advance anti-choice legislation.
I am proud that Democrats are committed to safeguarding these same freedoms, and we will not be silent on this issue.
This bill is not an effort to protect pregnant students. It does not address the barriers these students face in our education system.
If it did, it would include provisions that also inform students about Medicaid, SNAP, and WIC. Instead, this legislation is an obvious attempt to limit students' access to reproductive healthcare decisions and influence pregnancy outcomes.
When we act on legislation like H.R. 6914, we are sending a clear message to women in our country that we do not prioritize their health and well-being, and we do not value their ability to make their own choices.
We must do better.
On this anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we must pass legislation that provides women with the freedom to make decisions aligned with their health and reinstates our Federal right to abortion. Furthermore, we must support women and mothers along the way.
As you may be aware, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, also known as WIC, is set to face a $1 billion shortfall, leaving millions of American families vulnerable.
There are nearly 7 million low-income pregnant and postpartum participants, infants, and young children who rely on this program. For more than 25 years, there has been a bipartisan commitment to provide adequate funding for WIC. It is these priorities that should be front and center today, not creating more barriers and further restricting reproductive rights.
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Ms. UNDERWOOD. Madam Speaker, for this reason, at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee. If the House rules permitted, I would have offered the motion with an important amendment to this bill. The amendment would provide students with information on access to Medicaid, SNAP, and WIC.
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Ms. UNDERWOOD. Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.
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Ms. UNDERWOOD. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
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