[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 10 (Thursday, January 18, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H210-H219]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     PREGNANT STUDENTS' RIGHTS ACT

  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 969, I call up 
the bill (H.R. 6914) to require institutions of higher education to 
disseminate information on the rights of, and accommodations and 
resources for, pregnant students, and for other purposes, and ask for 
its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 969, the 
amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce printed in the bill, is adopted and the 
bill, as amended, is considered read.
  The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows:

                                H.R. 6914

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Pregnant Students' Rights 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) Female students enrolled at institutions of higher 
     education and experiencing an unplanned pregnancy may face 
     pressure that their only option is to receive an abortion or 
     risk academic failure.
       (2) Almost 30 percent of all abortions in the United States 
     are performed on women of college age, between the ages of 20 
     and 24, according to a 2021 report by the Centers for Disease 
     Control and Prevention.
       (3) Scientific evidence and personal testimonies document 
     that women who have abortions can be at risk of mental health 
     issues. Studies show that after an abortion, women are 34 
     percent more likely to develop anxiety disorders, 37 percent 
     more likely to develop depression, 110 percent more likely to 
     rely on alcohol

[[Page H211]]

     use or abuse, 115 percent more likely to develop suicidal 
     behavior, and 220 percent more likely to take on marijuana 
     use or abuse. As many as 60 percent of women having an 
     abortion experience some level of emotional distress 
     afterwards, with 30 percent being classified as severe 
     distress. Potential complications of abortions include heavy 
     or persistent bleeding, damage to cervix, abdominal pain or 
     cramping, scarring of uterine lining, breast cancer, future 
     premature births or miscarriages, infection or sepsis, 
     placenta previa, perforation of uterus, damage to other 
     organs, and even death.
       (4) A significant proportion of abortions in the United 
     States are performed on women of college age who may be 
     unaware of their rights to accommodation and prohibitions 
     against discrimination due to pregnancy under title IX of the 
     Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) or 
     deprived of information about abortion alternatives.
       (5) Additionally, women on college campuses may fear 
     institutional reprisal, loss of athletic scholarship, and 
     possible negative impact on academic opportunities during the 
     pregnancy and after childbirth.
       (6) An academic disparity exists because of the lack of 
     resources, support, and notifications available for female 
     college students who do not wish to receive an abortion or 
     who carry their unborn babies to term.

     SEC. 3. NOTICE OF PREGNANT STUDENT RIGHTS, ACCOMMODATIONS, 
                   AND RESOURCES.

       Section 485 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     1092) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(n) Pregnant Students' Rights, Accommodations, and 
     Resources.--
       ``(1) In general.--Each institution of higher education 
     participating in any program under this title shall carry out 
     the information dissemination activities described in 
     paragraph (3) for prospective and enrolled students 
     (including those attending or planning to attend less than 
     full time) regarding the information described in paragraph 
     (2) on the rights to, and resources (including protections 
     and accommodations) for, pregnant students to carry a baby to 
     term and students who may become pregnant while enrolled at 
     such institution of higher education to carry a baby to term.
       ``(2) Information content.--The information described in 
     this paragraph is the following:
       ``(A) A list of resources on campus and in the community 
     that exist to help a pregnant student in carrying the baby to 
     term and caring for the baby after birth.
       ``(B) Information about the accommodations available to 
     help a pregnant student carry the baby to term and parent the 
     baby after birth.
       ``(C) Information on how to file a complaint with--
       ``(i) the Department of Education, if a student believes 
     there was a violation by the institution of title IX of the 
     Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) on 
     account of such student's determination to carry a baby to 
     term; and
       ``(ii) the institution, if a student believes the student 
     has been discriminated against in violation of such title IX 
     on account of the student's determination to carry a baby to 
     term.
       ``(3) Information dissemination activities.--The 
     information dissemination activities described in this 
     paragraph shall include--
       ``(A) an email to each enrolled student at the start of 
     each period of study during an academic year; and
       ``(B) the provision of information--
       ``(i) in student handbooks, if any;
       ``(ii) at each orientation for enrolled students;
       ``(iii) at student health or counseling centers, if any; 
     and
       ``(iv) on the publicly available website of the institution 
     of higher education.
       ``(4) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection 
     shall be construed to authorize the Secretary to require the 
     dissemination of additional information, or establish 
     additional rights, beyond the information and rights included 
     in this subsection.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill, as amended, shall be debatable for 
1 hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority 
member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce or their 
respective designees.
  The gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) and the gentlewoman 
from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) each will control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from North Carolina.


                             General Leave

  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on H.R. 6914.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, today, I rise as a mother, a grandmother, and a former 
college instructor, administrator, and student to support the Pregnant 
Students' Rights Act.
  Mr. Speaker, in debating the tenets of this bill, I keep coming back 
to the dual mandate that it represents: more educated young women and 
more healthy babies carried to term.
  It reminds me of the two great sources of hope and joy in my personal 
life, the first of which is education.
  I have dedicated my life to helping others get a good education, as I 
was able to do. A good education is a major element of a good life.
  The second great source of hope and joy in my life has been to rear a 
child. Having children and then grandchildren is the highest calling 
and truly the ultimate blessing.
  Pursuing knowledge and having children: These are two virtues that 
carry immense social value and should be celebrated. I say should, 
because as is more often the case, modern society holds them in 
conflict with one another.
  Pregnant students should not be faced with the dilemma that their 
academic and future success must be sacrificed to an unplanned 
pregnancy.
  Data show carrying a child to term does not have to hinder one's 
educational journey. As a woman who understands the strength and 
resilience of other women, I found it unsurprising that student mothers 
outperformed their childless peers in the classroom.
  It is a long-held belief that pregnancy should never be a barrier to 
a student completing her education. It is a belief enshrined in Title 
IX, which establishes that universities receiving Federal funds must 
provide equal opportunities for all students, regardless of pregnancy 
or parental status.
  In order to receive Federal funding, campus classroom and education-
related activities, from athletics to scholarships to lab work and 
more, must allow protections and accommodations for pregnant women. 
That means coaches cannot remove players, universities cannot revoke 
scholarships, and teachers cannot penalize absences due to medical 
reasons related to a pregnancy.
  Yet, despite the legal equality for pregnant students established 
under Title IX, a significant challenge persists to informing women of 
the rights and the resources at their disposal. No expectant mother 
should be left in the dark.
  The Pregnant Students' Rights Act seeks to bridge the gap between 
legal protections and practical awareness. It ensures that universities 
make information regarding pregnant students' rights and protections 
accessible through handouts, e-mails, and university websites.
  This bill comes at a time when the nontraditional college student is 
becoming the norm. Over 20 percent of college students are parents, 
many of whom are single mothers. With more people entering college at 
every station of life, it is critical that we pass the Pregnant 
Students' Rights Act. All students should know the rights and 
protections available to them, including young, pregnant women.
  Mr. Speaker, I support the Pregnant Students' Rights Act, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 6914, the so-called 
Pregnant Students' Rights Act. This legislation requires institutions 
of higher education to distribute information about some of the rights 
of and accommodations for pregnant students. I opposed this legislation 
in committee and do so again today because, among other reasons, what 
is required in this bill is incomplete and biased by not providing 
information about comprehensive family planning resources and a full 
range of reproductive healthcare options for pregnant students.
  Additionally, Republican amendments adopted in the committee added 
controversial misinformation to this bill, including the myth that 
having an abortion can lead to breast cancer. This claim has been 
refuted by the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, 
and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
  These scare tactics unmasked the true intention of this bill, which 
is to further the Republican agenda about attacking reproductive 
healthcare in their attempt to pass a nationwide ban on abortion.
  As I mentioned to my Republican colleagues in committee, if you want 
to encourage pregnancy and childbirth, join with Democrats in passing 
legislation that will make childcare more affordable, support access to 
affordable healthcare and affordable housing, expand the Children's 
Health Insurance

[[Page H212]]

Program, and join the rest of the world in offering paid family leave.
  The intent of this bill is clear. It is another attempt to have 
politicians interfere in the very intensely personal decision of 
whether and when to have a child, a decision that should be made only 
by the pregnant student and their healthcare provider, not by judges, 
and certainly not by Members of Congress.

  Mr. Speaker, I oppose this bill. I encourage my colleagues to vote 
``no,'' and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Iowa 
(Mrs. Hinson), the sponsor of H.R. 6914.
  Mrs. HINSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank Dr. Foxx for her leadership in 
stewarding this bill through committee.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support my bill, 
the Pregnant Students' Rights Act.
  When Roe v. Wade was rightfully overturned last year, the next 
chapter of the pro-life movement began, and we were all given a new 
opportunity to strengthen our support for unborn babies and new moms.
  As a mom of two, this issue is personal to me. When you are pregnant, 
there are a million questions going through your head. From doctors' 
appointments to new financial responsibilities, pregnant students have 
so much on their plate as they work to balance school with having a 
healthy pregnancy.
  Unfortunately, many women on college campuses are pressured into 
having an abortion and told they must choose between having their baby 
and continuing their education, despite Title IX protections in place.
  Under Title IX, pregnant students have the right to stay in school, 
finish their education, and achieve their career goals. However, 
academic disparity exists due to the lack of resources, support, and 
tools for pregnant students.
  These women may fear institutional reprisal, a loss of athletic 
scholarship, or negative impacts on their academic opportunity, and 
standing.

                              {time}  1330

  These fears and anxieties are not only unjust to women, but they are 
really a poor reflection of how our higher education institutions treat 
pregnant students. These institutions have a responsibility to empower 
all of their students to succeed, including pregnant students.
  There are many organizations that provide physical and emotional 
support for new and soon-to-be moms, and pregnant students should know 
about these resources on college campuses. They deserve to be treated 
with respect and to be surrounded with care and love.
  I have visited pregnancy resource centers in Iowa. I have met with 
those who have dedicated themselves to the cause of life, many of whom 
have traveled to Washington, D.C., to the March for Life this weekend.
  It has been inspiring to me to see the pro-life community spring into 
action to help expecting moms and their babies to thrive. That is what 
this movement is really all about: recognizing the sanctity of every 
life and valuing life at every stage.
  Pregnant students bravely balance the responsibilities of bringing a 
new life into this world while simultaneously continuing their pursuit 
of a bright future through education. It is crucial for pregnant 
students to know that they have people standing behind them, that they 
have resources available to them, and that they are entitled to 
accommodations on campus.
  Being able to complete your education as a mother is not only 
empowering for the student, but it is vital to ensuring that the unborn 
child has the best possible future ahead.
  The Pregnant Students' Rights Act amends the Higher Education Act to 
require education institutions at the higher level to distribute 
information about the rights of pregnant students and the resources 
available to them at the school via their student handbooks, via email, 
websites, and during orientations. It also strengthens procedures for 
students to be able to file complaints and pursue accountability if 
their rights to these accommodations are violated.
  It is deeply troubling to me that the Biden administration is so dug 
in on their pro-abortion agenda that they would oppose providing 
pregnant women on college campuses with resources to continue their 
education and have a healthy pregnancy. They don't even want them to 
have this information or know that they have options other than 
abortion.
  I hope my colleagues across the aisle will vote to empower pregnant 
women and support this vital, life-affirming legislation. There is no 
reason that providing additional resources and support to women who 
choose life should be partisan. Every woman who chooses to complete her 
studies through her pregnancy is another American citizen doubly 
contributing to our families, to our communities, to our workforce, and 
should be an inspiration to us all.
  This bill, the Pregnant Students' Rights Act, is a step in the right 
direction to creating a culture of life in our society and a step that 
we must take as we continue to pursue policies that will help our 
families grow and thrive.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote in support of this 
bill.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, if my colleagues on the other side of the 
aisle truly cared about moms, they would join us in addressing the 
embarrassingly high maternal mortality rate in this country, which is 
especially concerning for women of color.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina 
(Ms. Ross).
  Ms. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the House 
Republicans' harmful Pregnant Students' Rights Act.
  Make no mistake. This legislation does nothing to protect pregnant 
students and fails to provide young parents with the real tools they 
need to succeed, including affordable childcare, affordable housing, 
and so much more.
  Masquerading as an attempt to support pregnant students, this 
misleading bill is a part of Republicans' dangerous anti-abortion 
agenda. It would require institutions to distribute limited and even 
inaccurate resources to students about their existing rights should 
they choose to carry a pregnancy to term, while omitting information 
about abortion services, contraception, and while also advancing anti-
abortion rhetoric.
  Last year, I introduced the Understanding Student Parent Outcomes Act 
with Congresswoman Lucy McBath. This legislation would take concrete 
steps to support pregnant and parenting students by requiring the 
Department of Education to collect critical data on barriers that 
student parents face to graduating college and providing 
recommendations and resources to institutions of higher education.
  During the committee markup of this egregious bill, Congresswoman 
McBath highlighted our bill as an alternative solution that will help 
student parents succeed while recognizing that all women deserve the 
opportunity to make their own choices about when to start a family free 
from persuasion from their schools.
  I hope my Republican colleagues will see the harm that their 
legislation will cause and join Democrats in opposing this bill. There 
are better ways to help our pregnant and parenting students.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Aderholt), the chair of the Values Action Team.
  Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Foxx for the time to 
speak in support of this legislation today.
  This week, a compelling statistic has been front and center of our 
mind, that 30 percent of all abortions in the United States are 
performed on 20- to 24-year-old, college-aged women.
  You wonder how much of this difficult reality is the result of a 
harmful external pressure that exists, a lack of resources that may 
exist, inadequate accommodations, or how often a young woman would have 
chosen life if she had just been informed of the rights, the resources, 
and the accommodations that were available to her.

  We must create a culture in this country that does not force women to 
choose between their babies and a college education. This legislation 
directly addresses this by simply requiring colleges and universities, 
as has been said here today, to fully inform pregnant students of what 
is rightfully available to them and how to file a complaint if they 
have experienced discrimination on the basis of their pregnancy.
  It is imperative that our institutions of higher education fully 
support

[[Page H213]]

women. We can't say it enough. Pro-life is prowoman.
  When a student chooses a path of higher education, they deserve our 
support and encouragement. Being prowoman and being prochild and being 
profamily is being proeducation and it is being prosuccess.
  I thank my colleague from Iowa, who I serve on the Appropriations 
Committee with, for introducing this important legislation. I fully 
support it and look forward to its passage today.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Georgia (Mrs. McBath).
  Mrs. McBATH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the 
deliberately misleading Pregnant Students' Rights Act.
  It is unfortunately not a bill about protecting pregnant and 
parenting students or improving their outcomes in school at all. This 
legislation is just another poorly disguised attempt to further roll 
back the rights of women in this country and unduly pressure students 
into making serious healthcare decisions.
  We should be considering legislation that will actually support 
pregnant and parenting students and has a real chance of being passed 
into law, like the Understanding Student Parent Outcomes Act of 2023, 
introduced by my colleague, Representative Deborah Ross, and me.
  Instead of leveraging the very real needs of students and their 
children against the highly polarizing and personal topics of 
reproductive rights and abortion, we could be studying the issue and 
establishing best practices at the Department of Education to improve 
graduation rates and help pregnant and parenting Americans stay in 
school, practices like ensuring access to quality on-campus childcare 
and accommodations for breastfeeding.
  Supporting pregnant and parenting students should be a bipartisan 
effort, but the bill that our colleagues have brought forth today does 
not seek to find commonsense, consensus solutions.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues across the aisle at the 
appropriate time to ensure that every student is given the support that 
they need to finish their degree, improve their career, and finally 
move into that higher income level that they have been dreaming of and 
working so hard toward.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage all my colleagues to oppose this bill.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. LaMalfa).
  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, whenever this subject gets brought up, it 
is like we just go into la-la land about what the facts are and what 
the intentions are.
  For a female student that is in college, on campus, she needs 
options. She needs to understand what her options are. She needs 
information to do that. This legislation simply affords a broader 
amount of information and choices for her to do that.
  How the folks on the other side could call this some kind of 
limitation or somehow against women just continues to foster the 
disinformation for 40 years about this subject.
  Indeed, it is life that we are talking about. For women, we see in 
some of these cases, as many as 60 percent, they have gone on to have 
abortions because they believe that is the only option they have. They 
have been, in some cases, bullied into it, or closed off from other 
information. Sixty percent would have preferred to give birth had they 
known they had the security, the options, and maybe not even be 
discriminated against on campus to do so.
  No, the left is always concerned about having the maximum number of 
abortions. It is appalling.
  Students that are pregnant deserve support and dignity and the 
options that help them fulfill whatever their goals are going to be, 
whatever their life course is going to be. That isn't done by hiding 
information and hiding options from them. We know the trauma that women 
can feel when they only have that one option, and it is very real.
  This bill is a simple step toward that support and helps keep more 
mothers on their desired path while still pursuing their college degree 
and getting a career. It is an important part of improving their life 
and their outlook.
  It is unbelievable to me the rhetoric that is used to go up against 
these young women having options and having information.

  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in committee, a pregnant 
student is not just the only one affected. If whomever impregnated the 
student got some rights and notification about paternity and child 
support obligations, that might help this information be more complete, 
but that is not in this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. 
Stevens).
  Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Oregon for 
yielding the time.
  Outrageous in its meaning and egregious in its outcome, I rise in 
strong opposition to this bill, the Pregnant Students' Rights Act.
  The amendment that I proposed in committee, the amendment that I took 
before the Rules Committee, to say that this bill should not fail in 
recognizing miscarriage, was not accepted, yet we know that upward of a 
quarter of pregnancies result in miscarriage.
  If you are not privileged to be going to college in Michigan, a State 
where abortion rights are enshrined into our State Constitution and are 
protected, and you are having a miscarriage, what happens to you? You 
are turned away at a hospital, and you are turned away for medical 
care.
  I rise today in support of women's healthcare rights, of women's 
freedom. Let's talk about pregnant rights, because we see in the States 
across this country, after Roe v. Wade was overturned, that women 
cannot get the healthcare they need. We see reporting in everyday 
publications like People magazine about women bleeding out in parking 
lots and women being forced to travel in their time of medical 
emergency on airplanes to get the care they need. That is what my 
colleagues are talking about.
  Yes, there is the miracle of life, but there is a need for real 
healthcare. Here we are at the quarter of the 21st century mark in this 
great country, we have access to all of the medical information we need 
to support the unborn, to support women, and to make sure that we have 
the best health outcomes, yet we have rising maternal mortality and a 
Black maternal mortality crisis in this country.

                              {time}  1345

  How dare we come together under the guise of supporting pregnant 
students' rights without actually including full access to information 
to young women in their most vulnerable state? That is what we were 
pushing for in the Education and Labor Committee. That is what we were 
pushing for here on the House floor on the heels of voting on this 
resolution almost in the dark of the night. We have work to do.
  I am proud to be in a State that protects women's rights, but, man, 
oh, man, am I terrified, am I heartbroken for women that don't have 
those rights.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am truly puzzled by the other side and some of the 
comments that are being made about this bill. It is a simple bill. It 
is not misleading. It is simply aimed at helping pregnant students get 
the support and information that they need if they are pursuing their 
education.
  My colleagues on the other side of the aisle used to be pro-women. I 
don't know what has happened to them, but, as one of my colleagues here 
said, pro-life is pro-woman. This bill is pro-women and pro-helping 
women getting an education. At the same time, they can carry their baby 
to term.
  Now, nothing in this bill prevents a college or university from 
disseminating information about how to deal with pregnancy-related 
conditions, including miscarriages. We are not telling the colleges and 
universities everything that they have to say. We are simply saying you 
have to inform the students of the services available and the 
accommodations that need to be made.
  All of us should have our hearts go out to women who face difficult 
pregnancies. We have all known them. My own daughter had four very 
difficult pregnancies.

[[Page H214]]

  I am deeply saddened that a woman and her baby face challenges and 
acknowledge that, for a pregnant student, these instances must be 
extremely stressful and sorrowful, but the purpose of this legislation 
is to tackle an issue unique to pregnant students on college campuses.
  Some students are not aware of how they can advocate for themselves 
to balance student life and motherhood. Colleges and universities must 
provide reasonable accommodations for these students, such as excused 
absences and opportunities to make up classwork when a student does 
have to make frequent medical appointments to take care of herself and 
her baby.
  This bill supports pregnant students, and I believe it deserves our 
support.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I note that our colleagues on the other side of the 
aisle rejected an amendment to include information about comprehensive 
reproductive healthcare services.
  Mr. Speaker, it is now my honor to yield 1 minute to the gentleman 
from New York (Mr. Jeffries), the dynamic, distinguished, and dedicated 
Democratic leader.
  Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank my distinguished colleague from 
the great State of Oregon, Representative Bonamici, for her tremendous 
advocacy and for yielding some time.
  I rise today in strong opposition to this reckless and regressive 
Republican effort to undermine women's healthcare.
  House Republicans have begun this year the same way that they ended 
last year, targeting women's reproductive freedom. The distinction 
between Democrats and extreme MAGA Republicans on the abortion care 
issue couldn't be any clearer. House Democrats believe in a woman's 
freedom to make her own reproductive healthcare decisions. It is a 
decision that should be between a woman, her family, and her doctors, 
not extreme MAGA Republicans trying to intervene and indoctrinate and 
influence young women on college campuses all across America.
  We believe in a woman's freedom to make her own reproductive 
healthcare decisions. What House Republicans want to do is to 
criminalize abortion care. House Republicans want to impose a 
nationwide abortion ban. House Republicans want to undermine 
reproductive freedom, and that is what the underlying bill that is on 
the floor right now is all about--nothing more, and nothing less.
  If the legislation that is under consideration was really about 
improving the opportunity for the children, the infants, the babies of 
America to live a healthy life, then extreme MAGA Republicans would 
join Democrats in our efforts to bring that about. House Democrats are 
trying to address the challenges around infant mortality in America. 
Extreme MAGA Republicans refuse to join us.
  House Republicans could be working to deal with the challenges around 
child poverty in America, but they refuse to join House Democrats in 
our efforts to go back to the transformative child tax credit that was 
part of the 2021 American Rescue Plan.
  House Democrats are working to deal with the problem of child hunger 
in America, but extreme MAGA Republicans are trying to cut nutritional 
assistance for children and families in our great country.
  How dare the Republicans come to the House floor to lecture America 
about healthy infants, healthy babies, healthy children, when they are 
doing everything in their power to do exactly the opposite.
  The notion that this bill has anything to do with transparency and 
providing information to young women on college campuses all across 
America is undermined by the fact that the Democratic amendments that 
were offered to provide a comprehensive set of information to women 
were consistently rejected.
  Extreme MAGA Republicans rejected any effort to make sure that young 
women on college campuses were provided information about the full 
range of reproductive healthcare. Extreme MAGA Republicans rejected the 
effort to provide the young women of America with information about the 
dangers of a miscarriage. Extreme MAGA Republicans rejected the efforts 
by House Democrats to make sure that the young women of America were 
provided information about contraceptives. Why? Because House 
Republicans have only one objective--a nationwide abortion ban.

  This legislation is part of that effort, and that is why, instead of 
the Congress dealing with issues related to the economy or housing or 
inflation or public safety or healthcare, House Republicans have us 
voting on bills to undermine a woman's freedom to make her own 
reproductive healthcare decisions.
  I strongly urge everyone to reject this extreme piece of legislation 
and join us in trying to uplift women, children, and families in 
America.
  Our promise to the country is as follows: House Democrats will stand 
strongly behind reproductive freedom today; we will stand strongly 
behind reproductive freedom tomorrow; we will stand strongly behind a 
woman's freedom to make her own reproductive healthcare decisions 
forever until we crush the extreme MAGA Republican effort to 
criminalize abortion care.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, again, I am aghast. I am just aghast at how this bill is 
being characterized. It is being called an extreme piece of 
legislation.
  We want pregnant students to be supported on their campuses and to 
know that they can be supported. It has nothing to do with 
criminalizing abortions. It has nothing to do with a nationwide 
abortion ban.
  Our colleagues on the other side of the aisle said something about 
healthy babies. We need pregnant women to have good resources and good 
healthcare so they can have healthy babies, but they want what they 
call comprehensive information to women.
  What they mean is they want to encourage women to have abortions. And 
what is an abortion, Mr. Speaker? It is killing babies.
  I have said it on the floor before. The word ``abortion'' sounds so 
clinical, so clean, but we need to say what it is. It is killing babies 
up to the point of their birth.
  This is not an extreme piece of legislation. It is a sensible piece 
of legislation, and every person in this body should vote for it if you 
care about life. If you don't care about life, if all you want to do is 
destroy life, then vote ``no.''
  That is the radical side. We are not the radical people. We know we 
have a culture of life. We have had a culture of life in this country. 
I fear it is eroding.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill deserves the support of every person, 
particularly every woman, because we all can appreciate what it would 
be like to be in this situation and not have support.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Jacobs).
  Ms. JACOBS. 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

[[Page H215]]

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.
  The decisions about keeping pregnancy to term and raising a child are 
serious, private, and personal. Women denied an abortion are four times 
more likely to live below the Federal poverty line. They are more 
likely to be evicted, go bankrupt, or have debt. They are more likely 
to stay in contact with a violent partner and raise the resulting child 
alone. Their children's financial well-being and development are more 
likely to suffer, too.
  We shouldn't deprive students of making these informed decisions by 
withholding their full, comprehensive options. This bill does a 
disservice to pregnant and parenting students.
  Instead, we should focus on strengthening Title IX protections, 
expanding support systems for families on campus like the CCAMPIS 
program that has been so successful at UC San Diego, and protecting 
pregnant students from discrimination.
  I have to say that I have been in college more recently than just 
about anyone here, and I don't remember a single person being pressured 
into having an abortion.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to reject this bill.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Good), who is a subcommittee chairman for the Education 
and the Workforce Committee.
  Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair for yielding. I 
certainly want to associate myself with the remarks that the 
gentlewoman so passionately and effectively espoused just a few moments 
ago.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Pregnant Students' Rights 
Act. It is incredible and revealing when we hear the other side's 
reaction to this legislation. This legislation simply requires colleges 
and universities to share information with mothers about the rights and 
resources available to help carry their babies to term.
  Why would anyone--why would even a Democrat--oppose giving mothers 
information about the rights and resources available to them? It is 
because they have become the party of abortion. They have become the 
party of death.
  I am old enough to remember when ``safe, legal, and rare'' used to be 
what many Democrats would say. There were many pro-life Democrats not 
that long ago. Even our President used to claim to be a pro-life 
Democrat.
  We know that when a woman has support, she is better able to raise a 
child that will enrich her life beyond how she could ever imagine. 
Nevertheless, we know that many college-aged women are presented with 
only the option of abortion if the pregnancy was unplanned.
  A mother may face pressure from the pro-death abortion industry, 
otherwise known as the Democratic Party, forcing her to decide between 
ending the child's life or reaching her academic and professional 
goals. We know that this is a false choice that disguises the lasting 
consequences of abortion both for the mother and for the child.
  This legislation does include important data on the negative impacts 
that abortion has on the mother's mental and physical health. Here is 
the truth: Abortion is harmful to babies and to mothers.
  As the bill explains, women who receive abortions are 34 percent more 
likely to develop anxiety disorders, 37 percent more likely to develop 
depression, and 115 percent more likely to develop suicidal behavior. 
The data proves that the mission of the overall bill to support mothers 
matters not only for the sake of the child but also for the well-being 
of the mother.
  Mothers in challenging situations deserve our compassion, support, 
and encouragement. Women who have chosen to have an abortion should 
know there is compassion, support, and healing available to them, as 
well.
  This very week, thousands of people from around the country are 
gathering in support of life and ending the heinous practice of 
abortion.
  The fact is, life begins at conception. That is the moment when we 
are, as the Bible says, knit together in our mother's womb by our 
creator.
  I will vote ``yes'' today on the Pregnant Students' Rights Act and 
hope this Congress will be bold in finding more ways to defend 
innocent, precious life in the womb.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib).
  Ms. TLAIB. Madam Speaker, if the technology existed, I really and 
truly believe the GOP would put tethers on the ovaries of women around 
our country as a result of this type of overreach and control.
  This bill literally would target and bully our daughters on college 
campuses.
  If this bill claims to support our daughters, then let's talk about 
programs that truly support our daughters. Lifesaving programs that 
help women after a baby has been born are getting cut left and right. 
The legislation creates no new rights and no protections under Title 
IX, no protections from discrimination or information on how to file a 
Federal civil rights claim.
  Literally, the only requirement is that our daughters on college 
campuses be targeted and shamed. That is exactly what it is.

  This is all while the Republican majority does nothing--nothing--to 
stop the unbelievable crisis we have with infant mortality, Black 
maternal health, and so much more. We have to beg to fund WIC in this 
Chamber. WIC specifically supports pregnant women.
  Women are already being forced to work harder just to make ends meet 
and put food on the table for their families. Yet again, though, we are 
going to target them. We are going to sit there and pretend that this 
is to help them.
  I represent, Madam Speaker, some communities struggling the most. So 
many of those struggling are mothers. One came to my office in tears 
because the early childhood program in her neighborhood was cut. She 
said that was the place where her children could get fed twice a day.
  This is what we have become. We want to bully and shame women in our 
country. I am proud to support the women in our country, and I am going 
to be so proud to be able to vote ``no'' on this extreme, antiwomen 
legislation.
  Let's not gaslight the American people. We know exactly what the GOP 
is trying to do. They are trying to control us, and it is not going to 
happen.
  Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is 
remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Bice). The gentlewoman from North 
Carolina has 10 minutes remaining. The gentlewoman from Oregon has 
15\1/2\ minutes remaining.
  Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, it is hard for me to believe that some of our 
colleagues have read this bill with the comments that they are making. 
It is a 5-page bill, basically. Maybe it takes up 7 pages, but that is 
mostly blank space.
  There is nothing about overreach and control in this bill. Our 
colleagues are saying: Well, you don't provide healthcare. You don't 
provide food stamps. You don't provide other things.
  Let me remind my colleagues that we are the Education and the 
Workforce Committee. We are in our lane. We are looking after pregnant 
students. Our job is to deal with education issues.
  As I said in the Rules Committee, our colleagues can go to other 
committees to do these things. We are doing what we should be doing, 
which is, again, staying in our lane and helping pregnant students. 
They should know that if they are here as Members of Congress.
  I wholeheartedly reject, also, the claim that this bill rolls back 
any rights of women. Nor does it put undue pressure on anyone other 
than college administrators to ensure that students are fully informed 
of their rights.
  The Pregnant Students' Rights Act ensures that colleges and 
universities provide information about the rights and accommodations a 
college must directly offer a mother as she navigates pregnancy and 
being a parent to her child. Pregnant students deserve equal access to 
continue their postsecondary education.
  I do not understand how connecting a student with information is an 
attack on any rights. Instead, this bill would decrease the likelihood 
that a student

[[Page H216]]

is unaware of her opportunities, unlike today, where students may not 
receive consistent and timely information.
  Nowhere in this bill does it prohibit colleges from disseminating any 
type of information. Nowhere in this bill does it dictate that the 
information be one-sided.
  Since when did it become popular to attack providing information and 
resources to a mother for taking care of her baby?
  Now, let's talk about one-sidedness, which our colleagues are saying. 
Colleges have been extremely public in support of abortion. Within 
minutes of the Supreme Court's decision on Roe v. Wade, ``one-sided'' 
press releases were published as if the issue had to do with higher 
education.
  Here is the statement of the University of Michigan president: ``I 
strongly support . . . abortion services, and I will do everything in 
my power as president to ensure we continue to provide this critically 
important care.''
  That is one shining example of the overt bias coming straight from 
the top of the university. I don't think anyone can make the claim that 
universities are not already pushing a one-sided agenda. However, this 
bill does not tie the hands of colleges from continuing to relay 
information, but it sure does ensure the student mothers are supported.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, it is clear from the debate on the bill 
that what my colleagues on the other side of the aisle want to happen 
is for every pregnant student to stay pregnant with consequences long 
beyond their time in college. That is why it is so important that we 
fund WIC, healthcare, childcare, and all the other things that are 
prowomen, prochildren, and profamily. This bill is not.
  Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota 
(Ms. Omar).
  Ms. OMAR. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Pregnant 
Students' Rights Act, which fails to expand meaningful support and 
accommodations for students.
  As a pregnant and parent college student, I have personal experience 
when it comes to this topic. When I was 19 and in college, I became 
pregnant with my first daughter and, shortly after, my son.
  I know the challenges of navigating the education system while 
balancing motherhood responsibilities. I know how isolating it can be. 
I know how critical it is for students to have comprehensive 
information about their choices, options, resources, and 
accommodations.
  That is why, when I was in the Minnesota State Legislature, I 
introduced and passed a bill that not only required institutions to 
provide pregnant and parent students information about their rights and 
resources for prenatal and postnatal care but also created a grant 
program to fund activities that support enrollment, retention, academic 
success, and graduation.
  H.R. 6914 is a do-nothing, empty messaging bill that masquerades to 
support pregnant and parent students but neglects their actual needs.
  Based on my own experience as a young mom in college and the 
available data, I know that pregnant and parent students need strong 
Title IX protections; access to affordable childcare, early education, 
and pre-K services; expansion of student-parent programs, child-
friendly study rooms, and lactation accommodations; assistance with 
basic needs, such as food, housing, transportation, and supplies to 
ensure that these students and their families have the support they 
need to thrive.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the 
gentlewoman from Minnesota.
  Ms. OMAR. That is why I plan on introducing a bill that not only 
requires institutions to provide pregnant and parent students with 
comprehensive information on all the options and resources available to 
them but also increases the resources and accommodations that are 
necessary for student success. I hope that my friends on the other side 
of the aisle will help support that bill and reject the current bill 
that we are voting on.
  Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds.
  Madam Speaker, so now I am truly confused. Our colleagues have come 
up one after the other and said that this bill is going to bring the 
end of the world for the ability for women to gain an abortion, which 
means killing their babies, and now we are told that this bill does 
nothing and is a do-nothing bill.
  If it is a do-nothing bill, then I certainly hope our colleagues will 
vote for it because I know they have voted for other do-nothing bills 
on the floor. Maybe they should think of it as a do-nothing bill and 
all vote for it.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from Illinois (Ms. Underwood).
  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.

                              {time}  1415

  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

[[Page H217]]

creating more barriers and further restricting reproductive rights.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the 
gentlewoman from Illinois.
  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.
  Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to add the text of this 
amendment in the Record immediately prior to the vote on the motion to 
recommit.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from North Carolina has 6 
minutes remaining. The gentlewoman from Oregon has 9\1/4\ minutes 
remaining.
  Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 1\1/2\ minutes.
  Madam Speaker, this bill is about supporting pregnant students. There 
are many resources for pregnant students, both on and off campus. This 
bill would connect students to these important resources. Many are 
nonprofit organizations, not just government programs.
  In particular, I have heard of inspiring and innovative partnerships 
between colleges and nonprofit organizations to support student 
mothers.
  For example, Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, North Carolina, has an 
incredible partnership with a noncampus maternity home, MiraVia. At 
MiraVia's college residence, expectant mothers are welcomed and 
provided with a place to live free of charge.
  Pregnant students receive a private suite, meals, childcare, diapers, 
baby clothing and supplies, nursery furniture, life skill classes, 
personalized guidance to identify additional community resources, and 
coordination of education and career opportunities.
  Belmont Abbey College gives pregnant mothers at MiraVia a full 
scholarship. This is just one example. I am sure many of my colleagues 
have more examples of support provided by colleges and universities for 
students and their babies.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished 
gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Clark), the Democratic whip.
  Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman 
from Oregon for yielding time and for all her incredible work.
  Madam Speaker, I have to hand it to the majority. With this bill, the 
MAGA majority has reached new heights or lows, as you want to define 
it, that are new and creative. They have named this bill, the Pregnant 
Students' Rights Act and didn't bother to include any rights or 
resources. Not a single new resource or protection for pregnant 
students.
  This bill does nothing to support student parents. It is another 
vehicle for promoting anti-abortion propaganda and deceiving Americans 
about their healthcare options. All of this from the same majority that 
eliminated funding for childcare on college campuses--funding that 
helps students have their children in childcare so they can go to 
class. It was defunded by the majority. It was zeroed out.
  They pull that one day, and then the next day they want students to 
believe they care about them? Give me a break.
  One in five undergrads are parents.
  Has anyone on the other side of the aisle talked to those parents 
about what they need? If they did, they would find out those students 
need the same thing as any parent: reproductive freedom, access to 
childcare, access to maternity care, access to contraception, and 
access to abortion care.
  Madam Speaker, let's fund childcare, not propaganda. Let's restore 
the reproductive freedom of every single American. That is how you help 
students, by empowering them, not playing a cynical game with their 
lives.
  Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), the ranking member of the full 
committee.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 
6914, the so-called Pregnant Students' Rights Act.

  In a post-Roe world where women face State-sanctioned abortion bans 
and complicated legal challenges to access healthcare, students should 
be aware of all of their reproductive options and protections.
  Yet, House Republicans in this bill are denying students the choice 
to decide by pushing an extreme bill that would keep students in the 
dark about the comprehensive healthcare choices, resources, and all of 
the rights that are available to them.
  On its face, the bill purports to provide pregnant students with 
resources available to them while they are seeking an education. In 
fact, the bill requires colleges and universities to distribute only 
partial information about existing rights under Title IX, as well as 
selective information on resources that solely encourage students to 
carry a pregnancy to term.
  Now, how can you make an informed and potentially life-changing 
decision if you are only provided with partial information about your 
rights and available resources?
  Madam Speaker, students already face challenges on campus, including 
mental health problems, financial and food insecurity, academic 
difficulties, just to name a few. This bill would make life much more 
challenging for students, but the true danger is in what the 
Republicans carefully left out.
  For example, the bill fails to require schools to inform students 
about contraception, which would help students actually avoid unplanned 
pregnancies; their rights and resources if they experience a 
miscarriage; and vital resources if they need to terminate a pregnancy 
due to health-related emergencies.
  In short, the bill provides students with just some of their rights, 
only selective rights. Contrary to their claims, the bill does not 
provide any new rights or resources like childcare assistance or 
affordable housing for pregnant or parenting students.
  Additionally, if a student decides to carry a child to term, this 
bill will not even provide any information on how to obtain funding, 
childcare, nutrition support like WIC, affordable housing options, or 
other critical supports.
  The bottom line is that here we are again wasting time with another 
harmful bill that jeopardizes sexual and reproductive healthcare for 
women. Restricting access to important information is both extreme and 
defies common sense.
  For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill.
  Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  I include in the Record a letter from the Coalition for Pregnant and 
Parenting Students Advocacy, signed by 60 organizations, opposing H.R. 
6914 because this legislation ``would not address the key barriers to 
pregnant students' educational attainment, and instead would further 
shame and stigmatize people for their pregnancy outcomes.''

                                                 January 18, 2024.
     Hon. Mike Johnson,
     Speaker, House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Hakeem Jeffries,
     Minority Leader, House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Speaker Johnson and Leader Jeffries: The Coalition for 
     Pregnant and Parenting Students Advocacy is a diverse group 
     of advocates and experts dedicated to advancing civil rights 
     protections and institutional resources for pregnant and 
     parenting students. We are joined by the undersigned 
     organizations in voicing our opposition to H.R. 6914, the 
     Pregnant Students' Rights Act--a thinly veiled anti-abortion 
     law which would not address the key barriers to pregnant 
     students--educational attainment, and instead would further 
     shame and stigmatize people for their pregnancy outcomes.
       This latest bill to ``protect the rights of pregnant 
     students'' falls far short of the protections that are 
     actually necessary for pregnant and parenting students and 
     their children.
       Students who are pregnant and/or parents deserve to 
     complete their education free

[[Page H218]]

     from bias and harassment, in environments that support them 
     on their educational journeys. Unfortunately, pregnant and 
     parenting students are routinely stigmatized, discriminated 
     against, and denied the resources, accommodations, and 
     support they need to thrive in their educational 
     institutions.
       More than 5.4 million college students in the United States 
     are parents, which is nearly one quarter of undergraduate 
     students and nearly one third of graduate students. Despite 
     earning higher GPAs than non-parenting students, parenting 
     college students are less likely to graduate. This is not due 
     to personal failing, but rather a lack of institutional 
     support and recognition of the unique barriers to college 
     completion for parenting students. Pregnant and parenting 
     students often experience feeling disconnected from the 
     larger education community and are not aware of who they can 
     speak to when they experience discrimination because of their 
     pregnancy or parenting status.
       The proposed bill relies on anti-abortion language and 
     seeks to limit students' reproductive healthcare decisions. 
     This type of language is part of a deliverate strategy by the 
     anti-abortion movement to further legal grounds for a 
     national abortion ban now that th Supreme Court has 
     overturned the constitutional right to abortion care as 
     established in Roe v. Wade. Furthermore, the bill language 
     contrasts with existing legal protections for pregnant 
     students experiencing a range of outcomes related to their 
     pregnancies.
       Our belief in personal autonomy and respect for every 
     person's capacity to make their own decisions--including 
     whether to continue their pregnancy or not--is at the core of 
     our work to support pregnant and parenting students. This 
     bill does not contain any meaningful supports that would 
     actually help pregnant and parenting students be able to 
     remain enrolled and meet their educational goals.
       Such supports are critically needed, and include:
       Strengthened Title IX protections; Nondiscrimination 
     protection at the state and local level; Accessible and 
     affordable child care, and increased funding for on-campus 
     child care; Access to early education and pre-kindergarten 
     services; Transportation access; Basic needs security 
     (including food, housing, clothing, etc.); Flexible school 
     attendance policies; Lactation accomodations; Less stigma and 
     shame around young parenthood; Increased accountability 
     measure for institutions who fail to protect pregnant and 
     parenting students; Federal funding to support campus Title 
     IX offices' work to prevent and investigate discrimination 
     against pregnant students; Mandatory data collection on 
     students' parenting statuses. Student Parent Outcomes Act of 
     2023, which would allow essential data collection on the 
     barriers to college graduation for pregnant and parenting 
     students. But sweeping legislation is necessary to ensure 
     that pregnant and parenting students and their families 
     are protected.
       Although pregnant and parenting students face many 
     roadblocks, they can thrive when their educational 
     institutions listen to them, support them, and prevent 
     discrimination against them. While balancing their health, 
     caregiving responsibilities, and educational goals is 
     challenging, these added responsibilities often renew 
     students' dedication to their studies. While the decision to 
     parent and/or continue pregnancy is a personal one, the 
     barriers that pregnant and parenting students face are not. 
     This proposed bill would reinforce structural and 
     institutional bias and scrutiny of the decisions students 
     make regarding their personal lives.
       We welcome the opportunity to have an open dialogue with 
     the sponsors of the ``Pregnant Students' Rights Act'' and 
     with any other members of Congress who are ready to step up 
     as the champion that pregnant and parenting students in our 
     nation need and deserve.
           Sincerely,
       The Coalition for Pregnant and Parenting Students Advocacy:
       A Better Balance; Generation Hope; Healthy Teen Network; 
     Institute for Women's Policy Research; Justice and Joy 
     National Collaborative; National Women's Law Center; New 
     America Higher Education Program; Pregnant Scholar Initiative 
     at the Center for WorkLife Law; UNITE-LA.
       Joined by:
       Advocates for Youth; American Association of University 
     Women; American Federation of Teachers; American Humanist 
     Association; BreastfeedLA; California Women's Law Center; 
     Center for Freethought Equality; Center for Reproductive 
     Rights; Clearinghouse on Women's Issues; Colorado Teen Parent 
     Collaborative; End Rape On Campus; Equal Rights Advocates; 
     Family Equality; Feminist Majority Foundation; Guttmacher 
     Institute.
       Hadassah; Harvard Law School; If/When/How: Lawyering for 
     Reproductive Justice; Indivisible, Ipas; League of Women 
     Voters of the United States; Legal Momentum, The Women's 
     Legal Defense and Education Fund; Michigan Organization on 
     Adolescent Sexual Health (MOASH); National Asian Pacific 
     American Women's Forum; National Association of Nurse 
     Practitioners in Women's Health; National Association of 
     Social Workers; National Center for Lesbian Rights; National 
     Center for Parent Leadership, Advocacy and Community 
     Empowerment; National Center for Transgender Equality; 
     National Council of Jewish Women; National Education 
     Association; National Family Planning & Reproductive Health 
     Association; National Latina Institute for Reproductive 
     Justice.
       National Network to End Domestic Violence; National 
     Partnership for Women & Families; National Women's Health 
     Network; National Women's Political Caucus; Partners in 
     Abortion Care; Physicians for Reproductive Health; Planned 
     Parenthood Federation of America; Positive Women's Network-
     USA; Power to Decide; Public Justice; Reproductive Freedom 
     for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America); SIECUS: Sex Ed 
     for Social Change; Southeast Asia Resource Action Center; 
     Stop Sexual Assault in Schools; The Hope Center at Temple 
     University; Union for Reform Judaism; Women of Reform 
     Judaism; Won't She Do It; YWCA USA.

  Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, the so-called Pregnant Students' Rights 
Act does nothing to strengthen pregnant students' existing protections 
and freedoms, and it leaves pregnant students in the dark about their 
rights under Federal civil rights law.
  In fact, when committee Democrats tried to include information that 
would meaningfully support pregnant and parenting students in our 
committee's markup, Republicans voted down our amendments.
  Democrats submitted amendments that would have included information 
about programs that promote the health and well-being of mothers and 
children, such as Medicaid and WIC. Coincidentally, these are the very 
programs Republican appropriators are right now actively working to 
roll back and defund.
  The bill provides partial information, but no help. That is why 
dozens of health and reproductive rights organizations, the National 
Women's Law Center, the National Partnership for Women & Families, and 
the American Civil Liberties Union have stated that H.R. 6914, ``falls 
far short of the protections that are actually necessary for pregnant 
and parenting students and their children.''
  In fact, I have a bill to get students information about their SNAP 
eligibility. I wish we were doing that right now.
  Madam Speaker, college is hard enough already, and we should do our 
part to ensure that all pregnant students have the resources they need 
to succeed. The legislation before us does nothing to achieve that 
goal.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Madam Speaker, again, our colleagues on the other side of the aisle 
have characterized this bill as radical, extreme, overreaching, and 
controlling students. There are so many negative things and then a 
couple have said, well, it does nothing.
  It is sort of confusing. Again, if they have read the five-page bill, 
they would know that their characterizations of the bill are not at all 
what it is.
  It doesn't do things they say they would like it to do, but that is 
not our role, Madam Speaker. Our role is to work with students on 
campuses.
  I do think they are really confused about the nature of this bill, 
and I would encourage anybody watching this to read the bill. The bill, 
let's be crystal clear, is not about political advocacy. Nothing in 
this bill prevents a college counselor from discussing the full panoply 
of options available to pregnant students. Nothing in this bill 
prevents a pregnant college student from making her own decision.
  Rather than political stunts, thanks to a Republican majority, this 
body is focused on real bills that will have a real effect on the real 
lives of Americans, particularly pregnant women in college. That is a 
good thing that we are doing, Madam Speaker.
  The Pregnant Students' Rights Act is yet another one of the bills we 
have focused on in this Republican majority in the House of 
Representatives.
  Madam Speaker, I look forward to its passage. I urge everyone to vote 
for this bill.
  Again, I think if our colleagues on the other side of the aisle care 
about pregnant women, and particularly pregnant women who are enrolled 
in college, they would vote for this.
  If they don't, then I fear it is an indication that they don't care 
about women who want to carry their babies to term.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I am here today to speak in 
opposition to the proposed legislation, H.R. 69l4, Pregnant Student's 
Rights Act.

[[Page H219]]

  This bill requires higher education institutions that participate in 
federal education programs to disseminate information on the rights and 
resources afforded to prospective, full- and part-time students who are 
pregnant or may become pregnant to encourage them to carry their 
pregnancy to term.
  These institutions would be required to share this information by 
email at the start of each academic year, in student handbooks, at each 
orientation for enrolled students, at student health and counseling 
centers, and on the school's website.
  A list of anti-abortion ``findings'' in the bill insinuate that women 
who have an abortion are at risk of developing mental health issues, 
abusing drugs and alcohol, and becoming suicidal.
  Amendments in committee offered to make it clear that schools are 
still allowed to disseminate information on access to sexual and 
reproductive health services and the rights, protections, and 
accommodation afforded to students under Title IX, were voted down by 
Republicans on the Committee.
  Additionally, it must be noted that this harmful bill is a futile 
attempt that will be vetoed by this Administration.
  As we know, the Administration strongly opposes H.R. 69l4.
  As highlighted in the White House Statement of Administrative Policy 
(SAP), the Administration clearly stated its opposition to H.R. 69l4 in 
its current form.
  Existing federal civil rights laws have long prohibited 
discrimination against students on the basis of pregnancy and related 
conditions, and institutions of higher education are already required 
to provide reasonable modifications to pregnant students--from modified 
class schedules to medical leave.
  The Administration stated that it will continue taking action to 
ensure that students know their rights under federal law and have 
access to the comprehensive, evidence-based information and resources 
they need to make informed decisions about their health care.
  I stand with the Administration in stating that we remain committed 
to supporting the security, health, and well-being of women and 
families across the country, and I urge my colleagues on the other side 
of the aisle to make this commitment as well.

  I have long supported pregnant people, especially those who are 
facing the challenges of being pregnant while being a student.
  Many students enrolled at an institution of higher learning face 
unplanned pregnancies and face pressures of either getting an abortion 
or face academic failure.
  According to national statistics, 1 in 5 college students have 
children, one of the many identified barriers that can make it 
difficult for students to complete a certificate or credential.
  Most student parents are women and more than 2 in 5 are single 
mothers.
  While teenage birth rates have declined significantly across the 
country in recent decades, Texas remains above the national average, 
consistently ranking in the top 10 states.
  Out of all births in Texas, around 6 percent were teen births in 2019 
and 2020.
  And a startling proportion of teenagers who gave birth in Texas in 
2020--more than 1 in 6--already had at least one other child.
  Texas does not require high schools to teach sex education, and the 
vast majority that do focus on sexual abstinence.
  The state has a complicated maze of requirements for teenagers 
seeking birth control and is currently operating under the strictest 
abortion laws in the country.
  During this Congress, I have co-sponsored many pieces of legislation 
that are in support of pregnant people's rights.
  Bills that endorse full-term pregnancies, such as the Mommies ACT 
(H.R. 6004) which seeks improve Medicaid and the Children's Health 
Insurance Program for low-income mothers, as well as the Perinatal 
Workforce Act (H.R. 3523) which strives to grow and diversify the 
perinatal workforce, and for other purposes.
  Students currently have insufficient tools to proactively manage 
their own maternal health and decisions.
  For these reasons, namely, to encourage, protect, and support 
pregnant students across the nation, I am committed to speaking up for 
the rights of students and pregnant people and confronting the issues 
that affect them.
  I urge my colleagues to vote no on H.R. 69l4 because this bill 
contradicts our nations long standing fight and advancements in 
protecting all students and reproductive rights for all Americans.

                              {time}  1430

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
  Pursuant to House Resolution 969, the previous question is ordered on 
the bill, as amended.
  The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the bill.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was 
read the third time.


                           Motion to Recommit

  Ms. UNDERWOOD. Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the 
desk.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion to 
recommit.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Ms. Underwood of Illinois moves to recommit the bill H.R. 
     6914 to the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

  The material previously referred to by Ms. Underwood is as follows:
       Ms. Underwood moves to recommit the bill H.R. 6914 to the 
     Committee on Education and the Workforce with instructions to 
     report the same back to the House forthwith with the 
     following amendment:
       Page 6, after line 16, insert the following:
       ``(D) Information on access to Federal programs that 
     support the health and well-being of pregnant women and 
     children, including--
       ``(i) the Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.);
       ``(ii) the supplemental nutrition assistance program under 
     the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.);
       ``(iii) the special supplemental nutrition program for 
     women, infants, and children established by section 17 of the 
     Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786); and
       ``(iv) programs under title X of the Public Health Service 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 300 et seq.).''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX, the 
previous question is ordered on the motion to recommit.
  The question is on the motion to recommit.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the noes appeared to have it.
  Ms. UNDERWOOD. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this question are postponed.

                          ____________________