FUNDING CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTERS

On 2026-01-21, Representative Maxine Dexter (D-OR-3) delivered a floor speech titled "FUNDING CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTERS" in the House. The speech addressed abortion.

FUNDING CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTERS

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 14 (Wednesday, January 21, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 14 (Wednesday, January 21, 2026)] [House] [Page H1126] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] FUNDING CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTERS (Ms. Dexter of Oregon was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Ms. DEXTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the proposal Republicans voted on to take money from families in need and divert it to anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers. As a medical doctor, I want to be crystal clear. Crisis pregnancy centers are not medical facilities. They do not even have to employ licensed medical professionals. Women who seek help at these centers routinely report being misled, pressured, or given false information during one of the most vulnerable periods in their lives. Democrats offered commonsense amendments that would have required facilities receiving these Federal funds to provide medically accurate information. That should not be too much to ask. Republicans rejected those amendments. The American people deserve to know exactly what that means: Republicans are knowingly funding centers that do not have to uphold basic medical standards, and they are doing it at the expense of families who are already struggling. Let us not ignore the cruelty of the timing. The day before the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which Trump gutted, Republicans are making it even harder for women to get honest information to make decisions about their own bodies. ____________________