Congressman Cliff Bentz, who represents Oregon’s 2nd district in the U.S. House of Representatives, voted in favor of two bills aimed at supporting pregnant and parenting women and students. On January 21, Bentz supported H.R. 6945, the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act, and H.R. 6359, the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act.
“These bills would provide women with access to real support when they need it most. Women facing unplanned or difficult pregnancies often need help. Pregnancy resource centers provide practical, compassionate services that help women and families navigate these emotional and economically challenging circumstances with dignity and confidence. We should be expanding options and resources for pregnant women, and that is what these bills do,” said Congressman Bentz.
H.R. 6945 aims to allow states to continue using Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds to support pregnancy resource centers. These centers offer services such as medical care, counseling, parenting education, and material assistance for pregnant women. The bill was introduced after a proposed rule under the Biden Administration sought to restrict federal funding for these centers; although that rule was not finalized, this legislation seeks to prevent similar actions by future administrations.
The second bill, H.R. 6359, would require colleges and universities to inform students about rights and resources available to pregnant and parenting students under Title IX protections. According to the legislation’s supporters, nearly one quarter of undergraduate students and almost one third of graduate students are pregnant or parenting but often feel unsupported or unaware of their rights.
Cliff Bentz has served as Oregon’s 2nd District representative since 2021 after replacing Greg Walden in Congress (https://bentz.house.gov/about). Before joining Congress, he served in both chambers of the Oregon legislature between 2008 and 2020 (https://bentz.house.gov/about). Bentz was born in Salem in 1952 and lives in Ontario. He graduated from Eastern Oregon University with a BA in 1974 before earning his JD from Lewis & Clark College in 1977.
