[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 6, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2776-S2777]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. BRITT (for herself, Mr. Schmitt, Mr. Cramer, Mrs. 
        Blackburn, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Daines, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. 
        Grassley, Mr. Justice, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Marshall, Mr. 
        McCormick, Mr. Moran, Mr. Ricketts, Mr. Risch, Mr. Rounds, Mr. 
        Sheehy, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Budd, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, and Mr. Graham):
  S. 1630. A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide 
more opportunities for mothers to succeed, and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President, today I could not be more proud to 
introduce a piece of legislation that goes to the heart of what I 
believe the Republican Party stands for. We are the party of life, the 
party of parents, and the party of hard-working Americans.
  This, among many reasons, is why I believe the Republican Party won 
so resoundingly in November. We ran on a promise to strengthen and grow 
American families, and this is another promise that we are going to 
keep. My legislation, the MOMS Act, is further proof of that 
commitment.
  Alongside my friends, Senators Eric Schmitt and Kevin Cramer, I am 
honored to introduce this pro-life, pro-woman, and pro-family 
legislation. I would also like to thank so many of my Republican 
colleagues for already jumping on and cosponsoring this.
  The MOMS Act is straightforward. It stands for More Opportunities for 
Moms to Succeed.
  First, the MOMS Act would establish pregnancy.gov. This new website 
would feature a wide range of resources available to expecting and 
postpartum moms as well as moms and families with young children.
  We are providing necessary resources and support to women throughout 
their

[[Page S2777]]

pregnancy journey. While being a mom is the most rewarding experience, 
I think I can speak for most moms when I say that it is a challenging 
one as well.
  When I was pregnant with my first child, I felt like I had no idea 
what I was doing. I remember actually being in the hospital room, them 
waiting, you know, to discharge me, and me thinking, You are going to 
send me home with her? What do I do next?
  Fortunately, I had the support of my friends and my family that 
helped me through this exciting journey of bringing new life into the 
world and bringing that baby home. However, I know that many moms may 
not have the incredible support that I did.
  That is why the MOMS Act is so important. This would help the most 
vulnerable, the most isolated women the most. Resources available to 
moms would include: mentorship opportunities, including pregnancy and 
parenting health; health and well-being services, including women's 
medical services like OB/GYN services, primary care, dental care, and 
mental health services.
  Financial assistance, work opportunities, childcare resources, foster 
care resources, adoption services, and educational opportunities for 
parents would be included. I could go on and on and on.
  It also includes material or legal support. So when you think of what 
material support would be, it is transportation, food, nutrition, 
clothing, household goods, baby supplies, housing, shelters, maternity 
homes, help with tax preparation, and more.
  When you think about legal services, what it would include is child 
support, family leave, breastfeeding protections, and custody issues.
  Next, I want to talk about the grant portion of the bill. This part 
would actually be separated into two different grant programs. The 
first one would help purchase necessary tools for prenatal and 
postnatal telehealth appointments, including medical equipment and 
technologies for those in rural areas and others in medically 
underserved communities.
  And the second program would establish a grant program for nonprofit 
entities to support, encourage, and to assist women through their 
pregnancies and to care for their babies after birth. This grant 
program would be funding many of the resources that I just named for 
mental health services, other medical care, childcare, housing 
assistance, education and employment assistance, and nutritional 
assistance.
  Finally, the third part of my bill is Senator Kevin Cramer's Unborn 
Child Support Act. It would require States to apply child support 
obligations to the time period during pregnancy if requested by the 
mother. This could be requested retroactively, and State level 
requirements involving proof of paternity would still apply.
  When I think about what this bill means to me, I immediately think of 
my own two children. They are why I am here today. They are why I chose 
to step up and run for the Senate. Their future and the future of the 
next generation is absolutely what I am fighting for.
  As parents, our children are at the heart of every decision we make. 
We want them to have the greatest opportunity to succeed and to thrive. 
As a Senator, I want that for children across our Nation, from coast to 
coast. They are at the heart of this commonsense legislation.
  Building a comprehensive culture of life starts with building blocks 
just like the MOMS Act. To all moms across my great State of Alabama 
and across our incredible country, I could not be more proud to stand 
with you. I am committed to growing and strengthening families and 
ensuring parents have the opportunities and resources needed so that 
they and their children can thrive and live their American dream.
  I am committed to getting the MOMS Act signed into law so that we can 
ensure that the comprehensive culture of life, that the next generation 
is ready, is prepared, and that women, as they go through their 
pregnancy journey, all the phases of it, are supported as they work to 
bring life into this world.

                          ____________________