Sen. Marco Rubio introduces family planning bill in Congress

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced legislation on Thursday to create an online web portal that will provide information and resources for family planning, pregnancy or parenthood.

The Standing With Moms Act directs the Depart of Health and Human Services to create and maintain Life.gov, a federal clearinghouse of pro-life resources, services, and information for pregnant and parenting mothers who entered their zip code.

“Pregnant and newly parenting mothers should not be left in the dark, nor should they be pushed toward abortion. Instead, they should have easy access to the resources they need to look after their babies. This bill would help make that a reality,” Rubio said in a press release.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who is introducing companion legislation in the House of Representatives, said in an interview with Axios that the information include public and private resources for medical care, adoption, mental health, dealing with postpartum depression, education and financial assistance, among other services.

She also insisted the bill is aimed "especially in places and states that are going to ban abortion” following the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

"When we're having this conversation about Roe v Wade or life or choice, we've got to make sure that women have access to health care, medical care, prenatal care, that they have access to birth control,” said the South Carolina Republican.

"You've got to have this conversation of the women that maybe get pregnant and don't have an unwanted pregnancy. How do they give that child up for adoption? What are the resources for care?”

Pro-life advocates rallied around the family planning bill.

Jeanine F. Mancini, president of the March for Life Education & Defense Fund, applauded Rubio and Mace, saying in a statement: “This bill, if enacted, will go a long way towards the simple act of providing information to families facing an unexpected pregnancy about the collective millions of dollars’ worth of free resources.”

The legislation is part of the pro-family framework Rubio unveiled last month following the SCOTUS decision, which included proposals like expanding the child tax credit and allowing new and newly-adoptive parents to pull forward up to three months of their Social Security benefits to finance paid parental leave.

Rubio’s cosponsors include Sens. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.).

Mace told Axios that she believes the bill will receive bipartisan support, adding that it would allow Republicans to stake out their position on family planning in the post-Roe political landscape.