Cleaver Co-Sponsors Bill to Ban States from Restricting Divorces for Pregnant Women

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Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) has co-sponsored a bill that would prevent states from blocking pregnant women from finalizing divorces. The legislation aims to address existing laws in several states that delay or prevent women from obtaining a divorce until after childbirth.

Cleaver highlighted the negative impact of such laws, particularly on women in abusive marriages. "It’s just, you know, one of those things that should embarrass every person in the state when we start making these laws to further infringe on the freedoms of women," Cleaver said.

Currently, some states, including Missouri, allow women to file for divorce while pregnant but do not permit the divorce to be finalized until the child is born. This legislation seeks to eliminate those barriers, ensuring that pregnancy status cannot be used as a factor in divorce proceedings.

The bill is part of a broader effort by Cleaver and other lawmakers to address what they view as unfair legal practices that disproportionately affect women. A similar bill was introduced in the Missouri state legislature earlier this year but did not advance. Cleaver's federal bill, if passed, would override such state laws and provide nationwide protections.