Mondaire Jones Calls Out Rep. Mike Lawler for Anti-Choice Bill Votes

Former Congressman Mondaire Jones has called out Congressman Mike Lawler's votes last week for two anti-abortion bills that are a part of far-right Republicans’ deeply unpopular anti-choice agenda. According to Jones, the legislation Lawler approved was championed by extreme anti-choice Speaker Mike Johnson, who Lawler “proudly” supports, and is a clear attempt to continue to chip away at the rights of women to have the freedom to make their own reproductive health care decisions.

HR 6914, the so-called Pregnant Students’ Rights Act, claims to provide information to pregnant students about their rights, but only supplies students with information about how to carry a pregnancy to term and to take care of a child, while not providing any funding or resources to actually support pregnant students.

HR 6918, the misleadingly named Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act, tries to take away critical funding for struggling families through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to fund anti-abortion counseling centers (also known as “crisis pregnancy centers”). Anti-abortion counseling centers are known to provide misinformation about abortion and reproductive health resources in order to dissuade pregnant people from having an abortion.

“I am disgusted, yet not surprised, that Congressman Lawler voted for these two anti-abortion bills last week," said Jones. "This extreme MAGA Republican legislation would bring us several steps closer to the national abortion ban that the GOP wants to enact," he added, noting the bills are part of a coordinated effort to strip away reproductive freedom from American women. Jones says the policies included in the bills do not provide resources, support, or funding for parents, families, or students. Instead, they aim to spread misinformation, stigmatize abortion, and make it more difficult for women to make important health care decisions.

"I strongly oppose both of these bills, and I look forward to defeating Mike Lawler and his extreme, anti-choice GOP majority this November in NY-17. This legislation makes it clear that a national abortion ban is next if Democrats do not take back the House this year,” Jones warned.

Protecting a woman’s right to choose, codifying Roe v. Wade, and making child care more affordable and accessible are top issues in the 2024 election for Jones, who has a strong record of being a champion for reproductive rights in Congress, including voting multiple times for the Women’s Health Protection Act and working to protect women’s access to mifepristone.

New York’s 17th Congressional District includes northern Westchester County, all of Rockland and Putnam Counties, and part of Dutchess County. District residents interested in Jones' election campaign can visit https://www.mondaireforcongres..., https://www.facebook.com/Monda..., https://twitter.com/MondaireJo..., https://www.instagram.com/mond... and https://www.youtube.com/channe... to learn more, volunteer, and/or contribute.