On the recordJanuary 18, 2024
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, we are just a few days from what would have been the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, so it is sadly predictable that we are here debating a MAGA Republicans' bill that would stigmatize students who parent while in school or who seek abortion care. Now, I can't help but chuckle at the ridiculous arguments coming from the other side of the aisle, because, while I will admit that my Republican colleagues are good at naming bills, they are not good at caring for parents or kids after they are born. {time} 1400 This so-called Pregnant Students' Rights Act ironically fails to give pregnant students any new rights. It gives them no meaningful information and support like campus childcare, family housing, or nutrition support if they choose to be pregnant or parent while in school. Instead, it provides a biased slate of options that pushes students to keep their pregnancy and raise a child, with no mention of contraception or that seeking an abortion is a viable and valid choice. Pregnant and parenting students deserve comprehensive information about their rights and the resources and support they need to thrive at school. What they don't need are lectures about their choices. They don't need obstacles to accessing abortion and the full spectrum of healthcare. They certainly don't need this condescending legislation that is more interested in advancing an anti-abortion agenda than genuinely helping students.…





