U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) recently took to the House floor to speak in support of a new bill aimed at helping pregnant college students.
HR 6914, or the "Pregnant Students' Rights Act," would require colleges and universities to "fully inform" pregnant students of their rights and the resources available to aid them during their pregnancy and beyond. It would also allow them to file a complaint if they felt discriminated against due to their pregnancy.
"This week, a compelling statistic has been front and center of our mind, that 30% of all abortions in the United States are performed on 20-24-year-old college-aged women," Aderholt said before the vote last Thursday. "You wonder how much of this difficult reality is a result of a harmful external pressure that exists, a lack of resources that may exist or inadequate accommodations. Or how often a young woman would have chosen life if she would have just been informed of the rights, the resources and the accommodations that were available to her."
Aderholt said women should not have to choose between having a baby and getting a college education.
"It is imperative that our institutions of higher education fully support women," he added. "We can't say it enough: pro-life is pro-woman."
The bill passed the House with a 212-207 vote.
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