U.S. Senators Katie Britt, Kevin Cramer, Eric Schmitt Introduce MOMS Act to Help Build Culture of Life, Support Women, Strengthen Families

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ahead of Mother’s Day this Sunday, U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.Dak.), and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) are leading colleagues in the More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed (MOMS) Act. This legislation would provide critical support to women during typically challenging phases of motherhood – prenatal, postpartum, and early childhood development – and bolster access to resources and assistance to help mothers and their children thrive.

This comes at an important moment. In 2023, the number of U.S. births was the lowest since 1979, according to provisional CDC data, and the total fertility rate in America hit an all-time low. Last year, fertility and birth rates remained near record-lows, reflecting a continued, concerning trend in America.

Senators Roger Marshall (R-Kans.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Jerry Moran (R-Kans.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Mike Rounds (R-S.Dak.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) have cosponsored the MOMS Act.

“The Republican Party is the party of life, the party of parents, and the party of families. At the heart of the MOMS Act is building a comprehensive culture of life to give moms, children, and families the support system they need to thrive and live their American Dream. As a mom myself, I don’t have to wonder what other moms are facing – I’m living it. I know firsthand that there is no greater blessing in life than our children and I also understand the types of challenges that women face during their pregnancy journeys and while raising their kids. I’m proud to support women throughout these seasons of motherhood, and the MOMS Act is part of my continued commitment to fight on their behalf,” said Senator Britt.

“Supporting moms throughout motherhood is essential to fostering a culture of life, and we want moms empowered and supported,” said Senator Cramer. “The MOMS Act will help provide them with the resources they need in the early stages of motherhood, and help them gain access to the child support payments they may need.”

“Being pro-life and pro-family means valuing not only the life of the child but doing everything we can to support moms throughout pregnancy and beyond. I’m glad to introduce this bill to help ensure moms have the resources they need and help set families on the path to achieving the American dream,” said Senator Schmitt.

“As the dad of two daughters, I believe every woman deserves support as she prepares to welcome a child. The MOMS Act is a commonsense step to make sure moms, babies, and families get connected to the resources they need right in their local community. I’ll keep fighting to protect the unborn and to equip mothers with the support they need every step of the way,” said Senator Lankford, co-chair of the Senate Values Action Team.

“As a dad of four and grandpa of six, supporting strong families is one of my top priorities. I’m proud to work with Senator Britt and our colleagues on this important bill to support mothers both before and after they welcome their babies, so they have the resources they need to support themselves and care for their children,” said Senator Daines, founder and former chair of the Senate Pro-Life Caucus.

The MOMS Act would establish a website of resources, Pregnancy.gov, for expecting and postpartum moms, as well as those with young children. This aims to increase access to adoption agencies, pregnancy resource centers, and other relevant public and private resources available to pregnant women near their zip code and surrounding areas. These relevant resources include health and well-being services; financial assistance; and material and legal support. HHS would also be required to include and maintain a national list of federal funding opportunities available to non-profit and healthcare entities for pregnancy support.

Senator Britt’s legislation would also improve access to pre- and post-natal resources. The bill 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. It would also institute a grant program to purchase necessary medical equipment and technology in rural areas and other medically underserved areas to support pre-natal and post-natal telehealth appointments.

The MOMS Act also includes Senator Cramer’s Unborn Child Support Act to allow states to apply child support obligations to the time period during pregnancy.

This legislation is endorsed by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Americans United for Life, March for Life Action, the National Right to Life Committee, Students for Life Action, Concerned Women of America, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, and the Human Coalition.

The full text of the bill can be viewed here. A section-by-section of the bill can be found here.

Alabama is especially in need of strengthened support systems for moms. Over a third of the state’s 67 counties are classified as “maternity care deserts,” areas without access to birthing facilities or maternity care providers. In recent years, three Alabama hospitals announced closures of their labor and delivery departments. Additionally, Alabama has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation at 38.6 deaths per 100,000 births.

Senator Britt has made supporting families, including maternal care, a top legislative priority throughout her first two years in office. She has also been a champion for in-vitro fertilization (IVF), and joined Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) last year in introducing the IVF Protection Act to ensure that no state prohibits access to IVF services.

Earlier this year, Senator Britt celebrated President Trump’s historic executive order to protect access to IVF, saying in part, “IVF is fundamentally pro-family, helping aspiring parents across our nation start and grow their families. I couldn’t be happier to see President Trump take this landmark step to expand access to this pathway to parenthood.”

This year, she led Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and a number of bipartisan cosponsors in introducing the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act. Their legislation would make child care more affordable and accessible by strengthening existing tax credits to lower child care costs. “Our legislation is pro-family, pro-Main Street, and pro-growth. We are sending a strong message to the American people that we can and will get the job done to improve the affordability and accessibility of quality child care,” said Senator Britt on introduction.

Recently, she joined Senators Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) in introducing the Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act. This bipartisan legislation would expand access to maternal care by offering support for rural health care facilities and doctors to provide urgent obstetric care. This is especially important for Alabama, due to a dramatic loss in rural obstetric care over the last four decades.

Senator Britt also reintroduced the Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ABCD) Act with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) last month. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation would eliminate out-of-pocket expenses for necessary diagnostic breast cancer tests, making them more accessible and affordable.

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