U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison Speaks Against Anti-Abortion Bill on House Floor

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Kelly Morrison (MN-03) spoke on the House floor in strong opposition to H.R. 6945, which would allow funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), which are meant to help families afford necessities like food, rent, and childcare, to be directed to deceptive “crisis pregnancy centers,” which prey on vulnerable women seeking reproductive health care. 

Representative Morrison cared for patients as an OB-GYN for more than 20 years, and is proud to be the first and only pro-choice OB-GYN in Congress. 

Watch Representative Morrison’s full speech HERE.

Read a transcript of Rep. Morrison’s speech below:

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 6945. 

The Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act is yet another Republican betrayal, cruelly masked by a misleading title. 

After spending the last few weeks threatening access to child care support and doing literally nothing to help millions of Americans afford their health care, Republicans want to direct taxpayer dollars away from helping families afford necessities like food, rent and child care to crisis pregnancy centers that prey on vulnerable women seeking legitimate reproductive health care. 

We've heard today that wonderful, caring people staff these crisis pregnancy centers, and I don't doubt that. But crisis pregnancy centers do not provide medical care, though they imply that they do. Crisis pregnancy centers are unregulated, they are deceptive and they are dangerous. 

As an OB-GYN myself for more than 20 years, I have seen far too many patients who have had at best confusing and at worst life-threatening experiences at crisis pregnancy centers. They don't serve patients. They serve the anti-abortion agenda. 

Let me be clear. Every person has the right and deserves the dignity to make their own health care decisions free from intimidation, deception, and coercion. 

At a time when our country has a shameful maternal and infant mortality crisis and is facing a worsening shortage of obstetricians, the so-called pro-life movement is focused not on helping women or supporting their families or delivering the IVF coverage the President promised. 

They are focused on denying women their reproductive rights and failing to deliver for American families. I urge my colleagues to stand for women and families, for dignity and for freedom and vote no.

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