PHILLIPS LEADS HOUSE DEMOCRATS IN INTRODUCING THE PRO-LIFE ACT

Press Release

As Senate Republicans announced their plan to ban on abortions after 15 weeks nationwide this week, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) led 26 House Democrats in introducing the real PRO-LIFE Act. Phillips's Providing Real Opportunities and Lifelong Investments For Everyone (PRO-LIFE) Act reclaims the moniker and is aimed at supporting women and families -- during pregnancy and beyond. The PRO-LIFE Act is co-led by Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro, Rep. Robin Kelly, Rep. Grace Meng, and Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán.

"Equitable access to health care, childcare, education and paid leave is, by definition, pro-life," said Rep. Phillips. "I'm ready to work with anyone in Congress who is serious about supporting children and families, and ask my colleagues to stop using women's bodies, freedoms, and futures to score political points. It's time we unify behind actually improving lives and outcomes for all."

"Congressional Republicans are making their end goal crystal clear: to strip away a woman's fundamental right to make her own healthcare decisions and ban abortion nationwide," said House Appropriations Chair Rosa DeLauro. "They claim to be pro-life and pro-family, and then they enact policies that go against science, hurt the health of American women, and gut programs that help families deal with rising costs and stagnant wages. Let me be clear, if Republicans were true to their claims, they would fight for policies that actually support the lives of working Americans. With introduction of the PRO-LIFE Act, which includes a number of priorities that will support American families, including the Child Tax Credit and paid family and medical leave, we will re-establish what it truly means to be pro-life."

"Investing in maternal and infant healthcare, child care and paid leave is how we truly support and protect the lives of infants, mothers and families," said Congresswoman Robin Kelly. "As Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, I know how devastating the Dobbs decision will be for Black women and families, who are already facing a worsening maternal mortality crisis and disproportionately low access to affordable child care and paid family leave. I am co-leading the PRO-LIFE Act with Reps. Phillips, DeLauro, Barragán and Meng to ensure equitable access to lifesaving healthcare and to invest in services that families across America need now more than ever."

"Americans' rights and freedoms have been under attack since the Supreme Court's ruling overturning Roe V. Wade almost three months ago. Republicans are looking to expand on this ruling by enacting a nationwide abortion ban, claiming to be "pro-life'. This is unacceptable," said Congresswoman Grace Meng. "The Providing Real Opportunities and Lifelong Investments For Everyone Act, the real pro-life legislation, bundles commonsense bills that aim to support women, families, and Americans throughout their lives. I am proud to be a co-lead on such a crucial bill. This package includes my Honoring Family-Friendly Workplaces Act, which would require the Department of Labor to recognize employers that have policies that provide paid family and sick leave and provide subsides for childcare. We are reclaiming what it really means to be "pro-life'."

"For the past three months, we have seen the heartbreaking and devastating impact that anti-abortion Congressional Republicans have worked for decades to create," said Congresswoman Nanette Barragán. "Patients and their families across the nation are being forced to flee their own communities to access basic health care or face carrying pregnancies against their will. For far too long, Republicans have been claiming to be "pro-life' and "pro-family,' but, time and time again, they have passed legislation that harmed the wellbeing of American families, increased costs for working families, and threaten to gut popular, successful programs that so many Americans rely on such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Democrats truly understand what it means to be "pro-life" and I am proud to be co-leading The Providing Real Opportunities and Lifelong Investments For Everyone Act, or PRO-LIFE Act, with Reps. Phillips, DeLauro, Kelly, and Meng to actually support women, families, and children. This package includes my Children's Health Insurance Program Permanency Act, which would permanently fund the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and related programs that support the development of child health."

The PRO-LIFE Act package includes popular, reasonable, family-focused bills that have been blocked by the Senate in reconciliation negotiations:

Paid Leave: H.R.804, the FAMILY Act
Child Tax Credits (CTC): H.R.928, the American Family Act of 2021
Child Care Infrastructure and Affordability: H.R.1911, the Child Care is Infrastructure Act
Adoption Support: H.R.4837, the Honoring Family-Friendly Workplaces Act
Maternal Health: H.R.959, the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021
Maternal Mortality Prevention: H.R. 3407, the MOMMA's Act
Children's Health: H.R.1791, the CHIPP Act

In addition to Phillips and the co-leads, the PRO-LIFE Act is cosponsored by Reps. Carson, Porter, Norton, F. Wilson, Nadler, Khanna, Doyle, Kirkpatrick, Neguse, Cicilline, Velázquez, Evans, Adams, Lofgren, Connolly, McCollum, Schakowsky, Torres, Escobar, Grijalva, Cohen, and G. Moore.

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