A House Republican is trying to introduce a bill that would ensure fathers are contributing to the cost of pregnancies.
Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Iowa introduced a bill called the Supporting Healthy Pregnancy Act. The bill, if passed, would require states to ensure that biological fathers pay for at least 50 percent of the out-of-pocket medical costs associated with a pregnancy and delivery, including health insurance premiums, according to Fox News.
The bill excludes any costs relating to abortion and has other specific limitations on what fathers are expected to cover. Mothers would have to request contributions from the father before the state steps in and enforces the payments.
The proposed legislation appears to be a move by the GOP to align with its pro-family messaging. Republicans have long been criticized by Democrats, who claim that they are ostensibly pro-family and anti-abortion while also refusing to support mothers with the financial burdens of having a child.
Hinson has also introduced a bill that, if passed, would mandate that pregnant women who are attending college be informed of their rights and the resources available to them at their learning institutions. The lawmaker said the measure is intended to make sure pregnant college students know they have options outside of abortions.
She has described herself as a “mom on a mission” to Fox News and said her goal with the bills is to help ease the burdens placed on expecting mothers.
â[I want to] make life easier for my fellow moms and families. Thatâs why Iâm working to expand access to maternal care, ensure women have resources throughout pregnancy and beyond, and improve child care options for growing families,â she said.
Hinson is a mother of two and told the outlet that “strong families make a strong nation.”
While Hinson’s bills, if successful, may help pregnant women with the cost of their pregnancies, the broader GOP’s attempts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act â with President Donald Trump insisting he would replace it with a better system but failing to explain what that system might be â mean many expecting mothers will be stuck with high-deductible health plans.
According to a 2022 investigation by KFF Health News, approximately 100 million people in the U.S. have some form of debt related to their health care costs. Most of those individuals have insurance but have still been forced into debt by their high deductibles.
In November, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the “only healthcare I will support or approve is sending the money directly back to the people.”
