Politics

‘Guarding Young College Women’: Republican Bill Would Defund Universities That Offer Chemical Abortions

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Two Republican lawmakers introduced a bill on Friday to defund any university that offers students chemical abortion pills, according to its press release.

Republican Texas Rep. Chip Roy and Republican Montana Sen. Steve Daines introduced the “Protecting Life on College Campus Act of 2023” on the same day as the 50th anniversary of the March for Life, which was also the first March for Life since the overturn of Roe v. Wade. The bill would prohibit federal funding being given to universities which provide students or employees with abortion medication.

Universities would be required to submit an annual report to the secretary of Education and the secretary of Health and Human Services to confirm that it did not provide students with on-site access to abortion.

“A college dorm room is no place to have a do-it-yourself abortion, and the American taxpayer should not be paying for the destruction of innocent human life on our college campuses. But, as we already know, what the abortion industry really cares about are profits—not the welfare of mothers or the integrity of higher learning,” Roy said in Friday’s press release. “The Protecting Life on College Campuses Act is about guarding young college women and their unborn children from the predatory abortion industry’s radical and reckless push for universal access to abortions.”

The bill was introduced in direct response to a California law which requires public universities to provide abortion pills at their student health centers with no exception, according to the press release. The law took effect on Jan. 1 after the bill was originally passed in 2019, Spectrum News 1 reported.

The Protecting Life on College Campus Act is the first federal bill inspired by SFLAction. Colleges should support pregnant students, not kill their children. Help us thank @SteveDaines and @RepChipRoy for their work to protect preborn babies and students from abortion violence!

— Students for Life Action (@SFLAction) June 23, 2022

“Every life is created with God-given dignity and potential—no matter how small or how many chromosomes they may have,” Daines said in his statement. “We are making great strides to build a culture of life in America but there is more work to be done. Now more than ever it’s critical we continue our fight on the federal level to be a voice for the most vulnerable and protect young moms from the dangers of do-it-yourself chemical abortions.”

New York is poised to become the next state to require public universities to stock abortion medication on campus.

Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Jan. 10 her plan to ensure students have easy access to abortion medication while at school.

“As other states wage war on abortion access, my message to New Yorkers is clear: Not here, not now, not ever,” Hochul said in the press release. “The women of New York will never be subjected to government-mandated pregnancies. These initiatives will further expand access to contraception and abortion services, and boost support for reproductive health providers and patients.”

Barnard College, located in New York, announced Oct. 2020 that abortion pills will be accessible on campus by the Fall 2023 semester.

Roy and Daines did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.