January 16, 2024
A new round of polling conducted by YouGov/Vineaand commissioned by Students for Life Action (SFLAction) shows that the youth vote is willing to seek more pro-life positions – with a caveat. According to the data, 31% of youth voters said they would be willing to accept more limits on abortion if more help was available to families.
When asked to identify what kind of help would be most important for mothers, newborns, and families, the top three answers were:
- Paid Family Leave for new parents that gives them time with their newborn child without sacrificing income.
- Child Tax Credits for eligible families in the form of reduced tax liability for each qualifying child under a certain age.
- Childcare Subsidies to make childcare more affordable to single mothers or low-income families.
This is fortuitous, as SFLAction is currently in the midst of a major legislative push to get Congress to pass more laws to provide support, services, and protections to expectant parenting mothers.
In fact, Congress is preparing to take up the SFLAction inspired piece of legislation: H.R. 6914, the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act.
If signed into law, this bill would “require institutions of higher education to disseminate information on the rights of, and accommodations and resources for, pregnant students, and for other purposes.”
Another law being championed by SFLAction is the Child Tax Credit (CTC). Many major pro-life and pro-family organizations signed a letter to Congress on this issue, saying in part:
“Supporting life means advocating for these mothers and children to have the resources they need to steward it. Americans understand this. That is why for over five years, there has been broad, bipartisan agreement around expanding the Child Tax Credit (CTC) to provide additional resources to children and families. We write to reiterate our support for its further expansion and request that Congress prioritize expansion of the CTC in the upcoming funding package.”
Meanwhile, H.R.6918 – Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act would ensure that the government cannot restrict funding for pregnancy resource centers, which help expectant mothers navigate the early challenges of pregnancy, encouraging them to choose life. They also have shorter wait times, provide free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, and are far more likely to offer same-day appointments compared to abortion facilities. In addition, these centers offer support to mothers and families even after their child is born and for years to come – something Planned Parenthood and company definitely don’t do. Try calling the abortion giant for free diapers, and they might just laugh at you.
READ: Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act H.R. 6918 – Making headway on Capitol Hill
Beyond legislation, there is also the Students for Life of America initiative Standing with You , designed to help women navigate a pregnancy with support and compassion. The website offers help for students, an explanation of the rights of pregnant women, and other peer support resources. Standing with You also has a search engine which allows users to find other free resources both in their local area and nationally.
Of course, another alternative is adoption. Back in 2019, former Vice President Mike Pence pointed out at the 2019 National Adoption Month Celebration that “the number of families that struggle with unexplained infertility is roughly equal to the number of abortions.”Mothers who aren’t ready to take on the challenges of raising children can give that opportunity to couples who desperately want to raise families of their own.
There’s no question that being pro-life means more than just stopping abortions across the nation. A culture of life has to be built around prioritizing families, and if the pro-life movement continues to push for more services and assistance for women, more and more voters will be persuaded to join our ranks, as polling shows.
This is especially important given that the Youth Vote in 2024 could be the important swing vote that changes the course of the election. But their vote must be earned.
To see the various ways that SFLA is helping women access the alternatives to abortion, click HERE.
