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Mr. FONG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6945, the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act.
Across our Nation, more than 2,700 pregnancy centers serve nearly 2 million women and families each year. I have seen firsthand my local pregnancy centers in California and the services they provide offering diapers, baby clothes, prenatal education, ultrasounds, housing referrals, and additional real, compassionate support during life's most vulnerable moments.
These services are valued at over $450 million annually and help families choose stability, self-sufficiency, and hope.
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program was created to strengthen families, reduce dependency, and ensure children can be cared for in their own homes.
Pregnancy resource centers, especially in rural communities, clearly advance those goals. However, under the Biden administration, a proposed rule was issued that singled out pregnancy centers and preemptively suggested State spending on these organizations would no longer be allowable.
The Biden rule was never finalized, but there is a need to make sure future administrations do not pursue similar actions. H.R. 6945 ensures fairness. It clarifies that States may continue partnering with pregnancy centers without political interference now and in the future.
Mr. Speaker, this bill stands for mothers, children, and families, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
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