By Amy Yurkanin
A bill to create a federal website of pregnancy resources introduced Thursday by Alabama Sen. Katie Britt came under fire this weekend after critics said it could be used to create a registry of pregnant women.
The bill would create a website called Pregnancy.gov where users can access information about pregnancy resources available in their area. The website would not include any information for clinics that provide abortions.
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On Twitter and in the UK-based news site The Guardian, critics portrayed the proposed website as a tool to gather data about pregnant women. However, Britt spokesman Sean Ross said users are not required to register or log in to the site to search for resources. The website will not ask for the user’s pregnancy status or for personally identifiable information.
“These social media posts are intentionally, flagrantly false,” Ross said.
Website users could voluntarily enter their contact information if they wanted personal follow up from a staff member at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Those services would also be available to friends and family members who are not pregnant if an individual was worried about sharing her information with the website. The website would invite users to take an assessment and provide consent to be contacted.
The website would not require people to take the assessment to receive more information about local resources, Ross said.
“Through the website, anyone can view the relevant resources in a given locale without disclosing any personally identifiable information to the government,” Ross said.
In addition to creating the website Pregnancy.gov, the More Opportunity for Moms to Succeed Act would increase federal support for crisis pregnancy centers and for rural telehealth services geared toward obstetrical care. The act would also require states to extend child support obligations through pregnancy if requested by the mother.
The other two main sponsors are Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. Several other Republicans signed on as cosponsors.
According to Axios, the bill does not have much chance of gaining support from Democrats who control the U.S. Senate. Its support for crisis pregnancy centers could prove divisive. The centers, which can offer pregnancy tests, ultrasounds and baby supplies, have been criticized for providing scientifically inaccurate information to dissuade women from seeking abortions.
Many Democratic politicians have seized on abortion and women’s health as weak spots for Republican candidates going into the 2024 election cycle. Alabama is one of two dozen states that banned or restricted abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. The decision has proved unpopular among many younger voters and women.
In a statement promoting the bill, Britt embraced her position as an anti-abortion conservative.
“This legislation is further evidence that you can absolutely be pro-life, pro-woman, and pro-family at the same time,” Britt said.
