WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries spoke on the House Floor in opposition to the so-called “Pregnant Students’ Rights Act.”
WATCH HERE
"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And let me 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's 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's what the underlying bill that's 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. So how dare you come to the House Floor to lecture America about healthy infants, healthy babies, healthy children? You're doing everything in your 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. And this legislation is part of that effort.
And that's 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. And so I strongly urge everyone to reject this extreme piece of legislation and join us in trying to uplift women, children and families in America. And 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. I yield back."
