[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 23, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3049-S3050]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUESTS
Mrs. MOODY. Mr. President, I rise today to ask unanimous consent to
pass my Pregnant Students' Rights Act out of the Senate, legislation
that would inform young mothers in school--at university or in
college--of their rights to protect the most vulnerable among us.
Today, we have an opportunity to ensure that students have the
information and support they need should they become pregnant.
Navigating college can be challenging for any student but especially
for pregnant women. Unfortunately, they oftentimes feel pressured to
end their pregnancies or risk academic failure. No woman should ever
feel like she has to choose between continuing classes or continuing a
pregnancy. Young women who find themselves in this situation should
know exactly what resources are available to them to help them carry
their pregnancies to term and what their rights are while they are in
school, whether that be in modified class schedules, excused absences,
or other accommodations.
This legislation would ensure that young women would know their
rights and know that they will have the support they need to stay in
school, to carry a child to term, and to raise a baby. Far too often,
they are told the exact opposite--that if they choose to have their
babies, it will be the end of their academic careers, their life
ambitions, and their career goals. They are made to feel abortion may
be their only option, and that is not what any of us should want. It is
not true.
With this bill, we will send the message that life is precious and
that we want to help you make that decision to carry a child to term,
to raise that child, and to continue your education goals.
This bill requires universities to inform students of the rights and
protections for pregnant students, such as those modified class
schedules and excused absences. It also requires universities to advise
students on how to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of
Education if there is a violation.
This legislation comes at an important time. The CDC reports that
almost 30 percent of all abortions in the United States are performed
on women of college age, between the ages of 20 and 24. College-aged
women may not be aware of their rights of accommodation. This would
allow for that information to be shared, would mandate that
universities do so, and would never make students believe they only
have one choice.
I urge my colleagues to join in our mission, support this
legislation, and protect the sanctity of life. We urgently need to
protect the Pregnant Students' Rights Act today.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the
immediate consideration of Calendar No. 300, S. 3627. Further, I ask
unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and
passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid
upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there an objection?
The Senator from Hawaii.
Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, despite its
name, this bill does nothing--nothing--to meaningfully help pregnant
students, nor does it protect their rights. It is yet another step in a
broader war on reproductive freedom--this time by threatening funding
losses for colleges and universities that do not comply.
This bill would require colleges and universities to distribute
information to all students about carrying a pregnancy to term and
caring for a child after birth. That is the focus of this bill.
This bill intentionally--intentionally--excludes information about
the full range of reproductive health, including contraception,
abortion, even where those options are legal. That is not protecting
pregnant students' rights; that is government-mandated bias.
Pregnant students who are legal adults do not need politicians, do
not need government, deciding which facts they are allowed to know.
What they actually need is medically accurate information so they can
make informed decisions about what is best for their bodies, their
families, and their futures.
While Republicans claim this bill is about protecting students, the
reality is that this bill does nothing to actually expand protections
for students.
This bill offers no guarantees of medical leave, flexible coursework,
lactation accommodations, childcare assistance, housing support, or
financial aid protections. In other words, this bill does nothing to
address the real barriers pregnant and parenting students face every
day.
Instead, this bill will threaten the funding universities and
colleges rely on--funds that have been under attack by this regime.
Already, the Trump regime has withheld or canceled billions in grants
and other funding from colleges and universities. And now, with this
bill, they are threatening the further loss of funds to force colleges
and universities to comply by requiring--requiring--them to push out
incomplete information that intentionally does not provide students the
full range of options. And that is because this bill isn't actually
about protecting students. It is about advancing Republicans' war on
reproductive care.
Tomorrow is the fourth anniversary of the Supreme Court's disastrous
Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, overturning a constitutional
right that women in this country relied on and had for some 50 years.
And in the 4 years since Dobbs, Republicans have worked tirelessly to
deny or limit access to reproductive care, to spread fear and
confusion, and to shame those who seek care.
[[Page S3050]]
By intentionally withholding medically accurate information from
students at a moment when access is already under attack, this bill
will only further undermine access to reproductive care.
This bill does nothing to protect the rights of students. It treats
students as though they are political pawns, endangering their health
and well-being to advance Republicans' extremist anti-abortion agenda.
For those reasons, I object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection is heard.
The Senator from Florida.
Mrs. MOODY. Mr. President, I am disappointed to hear from my
colleague--the Democrat that claims the party is the party of women--
that we are not going to ask that universities educate women in college
who become pregnant as to their rights and to modify class schedules or
excused absences, which would allow them to continue their education
and continue their pregnancy to term.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Hawaii.
Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, if Republicans truly want to help students
make informed decisions and prevent unintended pregnancies, they would
support evidence-based--not ideologically based but evidence-based
policies that expand access to medically accurate information, policies
like the Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act, legislation
that I introduced with Senator Booker that would expand comprehensive
medically accurate sex education and ensure young people at colleges
and universities have the information they need to navigate their
futures. That is what real support looks like.
By equipping students with factual information, our bill will help
empower our young people to make informed decisions about their bodies
and their lives.
Mr. President, that is why I ask unanimous consent that the Committee
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be discharged and the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 1910; further, that the
bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to
reconsider be consider made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
The Senator from Florida.
Mrs. MOODY. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I just want
to make sure that I am clear. The Democratic Party who, again,
repeatedly asserts that they are the party of women, does not want to
educate pregnant women on how to continue their education while they
are pregnant. They don't want to do that.
But we are now being asked, unanimously, to fund at the tune of half
a billion dollars to teach kids as young as elementary school students
about sex, gender identity.
And I want to repeat the words: They did not want to agree to my bill
because they didn't want it to be ideologically based, but yet they say
that spending half a billion dollars to teach elementary school kids,
educating young women on sex, gender identity--that that is not
ideologically based?
So I just want to make sure that I am clear. I come down here to seek
passage of a bill focused on educating young women, allowing them to
feel empowered to continue that education. And after blocking that
simple idea, I am now being asked to agree to the education of
elementary school students on topics such as sexual orientation and
sex.
That is the Democrat Party. This is the Republican Party. I just want
to make sure America is clear. That is the difference, and I cannot
believe that is what we are being asked to adopt by unanimous consent.
So for that reason, I will object, and I will lament that we find
ourselves in a place where we cannot promote the education of a
pregnant mother, but we are being asked to spread sex and gender
ideology to our children in elementary school.
I object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection is heard.
The Senator from Rhode Island.
____________________