119-hres662

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 662 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. RES. 662

Expressing support for the designation of the week of August 25 through 
 August 31, 2025, as ``Black Breastfeeding Week''.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 August 26, 2025

Ms. Adams (for herself and Mrs. Watson Coleman) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

Expressing support for the designation of the week of August 25 through 
 August 31, 2025, as ``Black Breastfeeding Week''.

Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics 
 from 2020 to 2021, Black mothers' breastfeeding initiation rate was 74 
 percent compared to White mothers' rate of 85 percent;
Whereas breastfeeding directly impacts the health and wellness of infants and 
 the mothers who care for them;
Whereas Black mothers have reported greater barriers to breastfeeding compared 
 to their counterparts, including pain or discomfort while breastfeeding, 
 concerns about breastfeeding in public, insufficient availability of 
 promotional and educational efforts, and the interference of 
 breastfeeding with paid employment and other activities;
Whereas some Black mothers have also reported lack of a social support system 
 for continued breastfeeding;
Whereas in North Carolina, only 70 percent of Black mothers attempted to 
 breastfeed in 2019 versus 84 percent of White mothers and state average 
 of 81 percent of all birthing parents in the state who breastfed during 
 the same period;
Whereas Black babies suffer over a 3 times higher infant mortality rates than 
 White babies in North Carolina;
Whereas low breastfeeding initiation rates directly correlate to high infant 
 mortality rates;
Whereas babies who are breastfed for at least 3 months have a 38-percent reduced 
 risk of infant mortality annually across the United States;
Whereas Black children are at a greater risk for childhood disease, and the 
 inability to exclusively breastfeed for the recommended 6 months has 
 been attributed to twice as many deaths and 3 times as many childhood 
 diseases in Black infants as compared to White infants;
Whereas 1 in 4 mothers in the United States return to work within two weeks of 
 giving birth;
Whereas 60 percent of working mothers in the United States who are breastfeeding 
 express breast milk in inadequate and unsanitary places on the job;
Whereas understanding historical and contemporary racial inequities is important 
 to address systemic injustices preventing families from achieving their 
 breastfeeding potential;
Whereas if mothers could meet current medical recommendations for breastfeeding, 
 it would save the United States economy nearly $13,000,000,000 per year 
 in pediatric health costs and premature deaths;
Whereas ``Black Breastfeeding Week'' is an opportunity to raise awareness about 
 the maternal child health crisis in Black communities and the important 
 role that breastfeeding plays in improving maternal and infant health 
 outcomes;
Whereas this week is dedicated to increasing awareness of the critical role of 
 breastfeeding and the work of Black community-led groups in improving 
 family health and reducing infant mortality rates in Black communities;
Whereas a week highlighting a unique and targeted approach to address the 
 challenges facing Black mothers and families is critical to eliminating 
 racial disparities in breastfeeding and breast cancer survival; and
Whereas ``Black Breastfeeding Week'' was created by Kimberly Seals Allers, 
 Kiddada Green, and Anayah Sangodele-Ayoka to bring national attention to 
 the United States maternal child health crisis in the Black community 
 and the important role that breastfeeding plays in improving maternal 
 and infant health outcomes: Now, therefore, be it
 Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes--

    (1) that systemic and institutional racism creates greater 
 barriers for Black women committed to meeting breastfeeding 
 guidelines set out by Federal public health officials;

    (2) that these barriers contribute to increasing health 
 disparities leaving Black mothers and infants particularly 
 vulnerable;

    (3) that disproportionate rates of maternal mortality and 
 morbidity in the United States and the alarmingly high rates of 
 maternal mortality among Black women are unacceptable;

    (4) that Congress must fully support and encourage policies 
 that ensure Black parents have access to affordable health 
 care, allow parents to take paid leave after the birth of a 
 child, and ensure that breastfeeding mothers have appropriate 
 places to express breast milk; and

    (5) that, in order to better mitigate the effects of 
 systemic and structural racism, Congress must work toward 
 ensuring that Black communities have--
        (A) adequate housing;
        (B) transportation equity;
            (C) nutritious food;
            (D) clean water;
        (E) environments free from toxins;
        (F) fair treatment within the criminal justice 
 system;
        (G) safety and freedom from violence;
        (H) a living wage;
            (I) equal economic opportunity; and
        (J) comprehensive, quality, and affordable health 
 care.
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