House passes bill to keep federal aid flowing to pregnancy resource centers

Ahead of the annual March for Life this week, House Republicans passed legislation that would ensure federal funding continues for pregnancy resource centers serving low-income women.

Just one Democrat, Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, joined Republicans to pass the bill in a 215-209 vote.

The legislation, the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act, would codify states’ ability to use Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds for pregnancy resource centers — funding that President Biden attempted to block.

“Pregnancy centers are the backbone of community-based support. The impact of their work is undeniable,” one of the bill’s authors, Rep. Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota, said during the floor debate.

In 2024, over 2,700 centers helped 3.8 million women, children and families, she said, and provided over $452 million in medical care, education and material goods.

“As Democrats continue to attack pregnancy care centers, I have asked them repeatedly if they have ever visited a center, ever bothered to go and see what they are talking about, because if they had, they would see the compassion, support and love that are present at these facilities,” Ms. Fischbach said.

Mr. Biden attempted to block the use of TANF funds for pregnancy centers in favor of expanding abortion access. The Department of Health and Human Services proposed a rule in late 2023 to restrict the funds. After Congress moved to block it, HHS withdrew the full rule in early 2025.

“Tragically, President Biden — the Abortion President — weaponized the entire federal bureaucracy to aggressively promote abortion on-demand, including misrepresenting the noble work of pregnancy resource centers,” said Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, another lead sponsor of the bill. “We can’t allow that to happen.”

Rep. Danny Davis, Illinois Democrat, argued Wednesday that the money from TANF is intended for poor children and said the bill diverts money “to dangerous anti-abortion centers” and restricts “women’s reproductive choices.”

“If Republicans really wanted to help parents care for their children, they would work with Democrats to ensure that HHS follows the law and immediately release the childcare funds that HHS is illegally delaying from states across the country,” he said.

Similar legislation was passed in the House last year, but wasn’t taken up by the Senate.

At the time, the American Civil Liberties Union urged lawmakers to vote no on the legislation, saying the crisis pregnancy centers the bill helps are “fake abortion clinics that attract patients by advertising free health care services, emotional support, and medical information, then use that trust to manipulate patients and dissuade them from having an abortion.”

“When a pregnant person has decided to have an abortion, they deserve access to medically accurate, evidence-based health care,” the ACLU said. “This bill seeks to restrict access to that care.”