Ranking Member Scott Votes “NO” on House Republicans’ Extreme, Anti-Choice Bill to Keep Pregnant Students in the Dark About Their Rights
“In a post-Roe world—where women face state-sanctioned abortion bans and complicated legal challenges to access health care—students should be aware of all of their reproductive options and protections.”
WASHINGTON – Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby Scott” delivered the following floor remarks in opposition to House Republicans’ H.R. 6914, an extreme and anti-choice bill that would prescribe the circulation of a limited set of resources and information institutions of higher education must provide pregnant students regarding their pre-existing rights and protections. These resources—which leave out information on contraception, abortion, pregnancy loss, and other reproductive and sexual health resources—are designed to encourage pregnant students to carry a pregnancy to term and could unduly influence students’ choices regarding their pregnancy and health.
Watch Ranking Member Scott’s floor remarks on YouTube.
“In a post-Roe world—where women face state-sanctioned abortion bans and complicated legal challenges to access health care—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 health care choices, resources, and all of the rights available to them.
“On its face, the bill purports to provide pregnant students with the resources available to them while they are seeking an education.
“But, 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 could 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 a health-related emergency
“In short, the bill provides students with just some of their rights—only selective rights.
“And, contrary to their claims, the bill does not provide any new rights or resources like child care assistance or affordable housing for pregnant or parenting students.
“Additionally, if a student decides to carry a child to term, this bill would not even provide any information about how to obtain funding, child care, 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 the sexual and reproductive health care for women. Restricting access to important information is both extreme and defies common sense.”
Read a fact sheet on H.R. 6914 here.
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