The Leader’s Floor Lookout: Week of January 19, 2026

Unfortunately, many pregnant college students feel forced to choose between their child and their academic future, instead of feeling empowered to choose life and education. 

On college campuses, pregnant students face pressure to get an abortion, or else suffer in class, experience judgment from professors and students, or lose out on opportunities. Almost 30 percent of women getting abortions are around college age, between 20 and 24. However, under Title IX, pregnant students cannot be discriminated against or lose scholarships, housing, or other opportunities due to their pregnancy.

It is vital that we ensure pregnant students are aware of their rights and resources available to them – including flexible class schedules, excused absences, and child care assistance – while balancing school, pregnancy, their health, and their growing family. This week, House Republicans are bringing legislation that does just that.

This is common sense: Student mothers choosing life should have every opportunity to know and exercise their rights while pursuing higher education, and they deserve our support and help to succeed on campus. 

Rep. Ashley Hinson’s legislation, H.R. 6359, the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act, requires universities and higher education institutions to communicate and distribute information informing pregnant students of their rights, accommodations, and resources available to them.

House Republicans support pregnant students and making sure higher education institutions are fulfilling their role in educating and bolstering students who choose life.

Pregnancy centers are typically non-profit, faith-based organizations that provide services to protect the lives of both the mother and the child, such as treatments, education on parenting and prenatal care, ultrasounds, transportation and housing referrals, and resources like diapers. In 2024 alone, these centers served nearly 2 million women and families.

Over and over again, however, the far left has put their radical agenda above the needs of pregnant women and growing families by trying to steer money away from pregnancy centers and towards facilities that provide abortions. 

Previously, Biden’s Department of Health and Human Services attempted to restrict Temporary Assistance for Needy Family (TANF) funds for pregnancy centers that provide support to mothers and families that choose life, clearly violating the 1996 law creating TANF that prohibits Administrations from regulating its funds. 

Let’s be clear: Restricting funding to pregnancy centers whose purpose is to serve and assist pregnant women is targeted, political, and harms women by taking away crucial resources.

H.R. 6945, the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act, introduced by Rep. Michelle Fischbach, prevents the Secretary of Health and Human Services from restricting funding for pregnancy centers that serve new mothers and families that choose life.

House Republicans are standing up for mothers, babies, families, and life and will always fight to make sure they are supported and empowered.

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Reversing a Biden-Era Ban on Mining for Critical Minerals in Minnesota
 

During the Biden Administration, officials pursued policies that shut down domestic energy production and critical mining projects, putting our national security and energy independence at risk, costing countless good-paying American jobs, and undermining the way of life and economies of communities that rely on mining.

In January 2023, the Biden Department of Interior (DOI) published a Public Land Order (PLO) essentially putting in place a 20-year ban on mining and other responsible resource extraction across 225,504 acres in the Superior National Forest in Northern Minnesota. 

PLO 7917 included a significant section of the Duluth Complex – one of the largest untapped mineral deposits in the world, containing 8 billion tons of copper and nickel as well as cobalt and platinum metal groups.

By blocking access to America’s abundant natural resources, anti-American development policies forced us to be more dependent on foreign adversaries like China for critical minerals and threaten America’s competitive edge in the 21st century.

While the DOI is required to notify Congress of PLOs affecting more than 5,000 acres, the Biden Administration failed to properly transmit PLO 7917 to Congress; thankfully, the Trump Administration has properly transmitted PLO 7917 so Congress can rightfully review it. This week, House Republicans are bringing forward legislation to overturn the unlawful PLO 7917 and ensure future administrations are unable to implement similar dangerous mining bans.

H.J. Res. 140, introduced by Rep. Pete Stauber, expresses congressional disapproval of the Public Land Order No. 7917 that implemented a mineral withdrawal of approximately 225,504 acres, banning mining and other resource extraction in Northern Minnesota and putting our nation’s mineral security at risk.

House Republicans are standing up for Minnesotan’s way of life, protecting American jobs, and fighting to ensure our country doesn’t have to depend on adversaries for the critical minerals we need to remain competitive on the world stage.