Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) joined a group of her Republican colleagues in introducing the More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed (MOMS) Act on Friday.
The bill would establish the website “pregnancy.gov,” a federal clearinghouse of resources available to expecting and postpartum moms and moms with young children.
The website, according to Blackburn’s office, would “increase access to adoption agencies, pregnancy resource centers, and other relevant public and private resources available to pregnant women within their zip code and surrounding areas.”
In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would be required under the bill to include and maintain a national list of federal funding opportunities available to non-profit and healthcare entities for pregnancy support on the website.
The bill also addresses pre- and post-natal care for mothers as it would establish a grant program for non-profit entities to “support, encourage, and assist women in carrying their pregnancies to term; and to care for their babies after birth.”
When it comes to providing mothers with the opportunity to schedule and undergo pre-natal and post-natal telehealth appointments, the bill would also institute a grant program to purchase necessary medical equipment and technology in rural areas and other medically underserved areas.
The legislation would also require states to apply child support obligations to the time period during pregnancy, if so requested by the mother.
Blackburn said the introduction of the MOMS Act comes at an “important moment” in the country as the number of U.S. births was the lowest since 1979 and the total fertility rate in America hit an all-time low last year.
“Supporting mothers is critical to defending life at all stages. This legislation will promote access to quality health care and financial support for women. As a mother and a grandmother, I know the joy and challenges of raising children, and I am pleased to support the MOMS Act,” Blackburn said in a statement.
The MOMS Act is endorsed by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Americans United for Life, March for Life Action, the National Right to Life Committee, the Family Policy Alliance, Democrats for Life of America, and Students for Life Action.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Marsha Blackburn” by Marsha Blackburn. Background Photo “U.S. Capitol” by Grant Page.
