January 8, 2026
Democrats continually tried to hijack the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act in a hearing today with amendments adding abortion as a “resource” for pregnant students
Apparently, you can support pregnant and parenting students by terminating their pregnancies. At least, according to Democrats. Of course, that means they will no longer be pregnant, won’t be parenting a child, and won’t be needing pregnancy or parenting resources anymore.
Yet, even before today’s Committee on Education and Workforce hearing for Students for Life Action’s (SFLAction) Pregnant Students’ Rights Act got off the ground, Ranking Member Scott voiced his opposition to the bill, claiming students were “being kept in the dark about their choices.” Maybe he’s never heard about the “shout your abortion” movement, or seen the Hollywood push for abortion, or notice all the Planned Parenthood advertising. The push for abortion hasn’t been subtle.
“Republicans are denying [pregnant students] the choice to decide what is best for them and their families,” Ranking Member Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.) said. “I will vote no on the bill and urge my colleagues to do the same.”
The “choice” Ranking Member Rep. Scott laments the absence of? Abortion.
And he was far from being the only one wanting it included.
“What we have here is an anti-abortion activist bill,” Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) said. “That’s why you’re going to get ‘no’s’ from the Democrat side.”
Representative Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) said the bill was the latest effort in denying women “reproductive healthcare.”
Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) introduced an amendment to allow higher education institutions to provide information on contraception and abortion because “if and when to have a child is a deeply personal decision that shouldn’t be made by politicians.”
Democrats seem to think abortion, which is NOT healthcare, is the ONLY “reproductive healthcare.” Plus, the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act is about the educational needs of pregnant students, not their medical needs. Colleges and universities are not a substitute for medical providers, another concept Democrats seemed unable to grasp.
READ: Students for Life Action Says Hyde Protections NON-NEGOTIABLE as Healthcare Votes Expected
“As we evaluate this bill, it is very clear that one thing is missing,” Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) said in a clear push for abortion. “Where is the information for pregnant women on college campuses within this legislation in the event of a medical complication?”
Democrats love abortion and the abortion lobby so much they tried to add multiple amendments to include abortion as a resource in the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act. They claimed to be trying to support pregnant students while trying to END their pregnancies. How ending a pregnancy—killing a preborn child—constitutes pregnancy support is far beyond logical comprehension.
LEARN MORE: Students for Life of America’s Standing with You initiative includes many resources for pregnant and parenting women, including information on Title IX rights and requirements.
The other hold-up on the Democrats’ side was the dismantling of the Department of Education by the Trump Administration, and what they called a lack of information and support for affordable childcare and programs such as SNAP and WIC.
And no, they did not seem to recognize the irony in continually bringing up funding for resources for parents and families while also getting upset about the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act not providing abortion information. This was evidenced by Rep. Jahana Hayes’s (D-Conn.) comment about the need to “help those babies thrive, not just survive to full term.”
“With the way things are in this administration, this bill offers a bridge to nowhere,” Rep. Bonamici said.
“There is another side to the story that is being totally left out,” Chairman Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) said in response, citing cuts to SNAP and other benefits are eliminating waste and, therefore, claiming these would lead to more aid for pregnant students in need of care and resources.
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) noted that schools informing pregnant students about aid like SNAP and WIC was a provision already included in the bill, and raised the concern that including specific language about certain programs might lead to other programs not being shared.
Luckily, pregnant students had real advocates for them in the hearing.
“These students should never be dissuaded from continuing their education,” Vice-Chair Rep. Mary E. Miller (R-Ill.) said. “I am proud to support this bill, which empowers future parents who make the brave decision to embrace motherhood while continuing their education.”
“We must give voice to the numerous resources that exist to help a woman carry her child to term and thrive in the following days,” SFLAction Champion Rep. Mark Harris (R-N.C.) said. “This can save lives and save a mom from heartbreak or trauma. We should be a nation that tells mothers, ‘You are not alone. You are valued. And you do not have to choose between your child and your education.’”
We here at SFLAction couldn’t agree more. That’s why we will continue to push for the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act and other pro-life legislation that protects LIFE and support the mothers who choose it.