119-sres172

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 172 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
S. RES. 172

 Supporting the designation of the week of April 11 through April 17, 
 2025, as the eighth annual ``Black Maternal Health Week'', founded by 
 Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc., to bring national attention to the 
 maternal and reproductive health crisis in the United States and the 
 importance of reducing maternal mortality and morbidity among Black 
 women and birthing people.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 April 10, 2025

 Mr. Booker (for himself, Mr. Warnock, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Merkley, Mr. 
Coons, Ms. Slotkin, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Rosen, Ms. Klobuchar, Mrs. Murray, 
Ms. Blunt Rochester, Ms. Duckworth, Ms. Smith, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Durbin, 
 Mr. Welch, Ms. Warren, Mr. Markey, and Mr. Van Hollen) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, 
 Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

 Supporting the designation of the week of April 11 through April 17, 
 2025, as the eighth annual ``Black Maternal Health Week'', founded by 
 Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc., to bring national attention to the 
 maternal and reproductive health crisis in the United States and the 
 importance of reducing maternal mortality and morbidity among Black 
 women and birthing people.

Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black 
 women in the United States are 2-3 times more likely than White women to 
 die from pregnancy-related causes;
Whereas Black women and people living in low-income and rural communities in the 
 United States suffer from life-threatening pregnancy complications, 
 known as ``maternal morbidities'', twice as often as White women;
Whereas maternal mortality rates in the United States are--

    (1) among the highest in the developed world; and

    (2) 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, 32.9 in 2021, 22.3 in 
2022, and 18.6 in 2023;

Whereas the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among affluent 
 countries, driven in part by systemic inequities in health care that 
 disproportionately and unjustly affect Black women;
Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2023, 
 the United States maternal mortality rate decreased for White (14.5), 
 Hispanic (12.4), and Asian (10.7) women but increased to 50.3 deaths per 
 100,000 live births for Black women;
Whereas Black women are 50 percent more likely than all other women to give 
 birth to premature and low birth weight infants;
Whereas the high rates of maternal mortality among Black women span across--

    (1) income levels;

    (2) education levels; and

    (3) socioeconomic status;

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that more than 80 
 percent of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States are 
 preventable;
Whereas the leading causes of maternal mortality among Black women and birthing 
 people include obstetric embolism, obstetric hemorrhage, eclampsia and 
 preeclampsia, and postpartum cardiomyopathy, and these conditions impact 
 Black women and birthing people disproportionately;
Whereas Black mothers have the highest rate of cesarean section deliveries;
Whereas structural racism, gender oppression, and the social determinants of 
 health inequities experienced by Black women in the United States 
 significantly contribute to the disproportionately high rates of 
 maternal mortality and morbidity among Black women;
Whereas racism and discrimination play a consequential role in maternal health 
 care experiences and outcomes of Black birthing people;
Whereas the overturn of Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113

    (1973) , impacts Black women 
 and birthing people's right to reproductive health care and bodily 
 autonomy and further perpetuates reproductive oppression as a tool to 
 control women's bodies;
Whereas a fair and wide distribution of economic resources and birth options, 
 especially regarding reproductive health care services and maternal 
 health programming, including prenatal, postpartum, family planning, and 
 education programs, is critical to addressing inequities in maternal 
 health outcomes;
Whereas communities of color are disproportionately affected by maternity care 
 deserts, where there are no or limited hospitals or birth centers 
 offering obstetric care and no or limited obstetric providers, and have 
 diminishing access to reproductive health care due to low Medicaid 
 reimbursements, rising costs, and ongoing staff shortages;
Whereas Black midwives, doulas, perinatal health workers, and community-based 
 organizations provide holistic maternal health care, but face systemic, 
 structural, economic, and legal barriers to licensure, reimbursement, 
 and provision of care;
Whereas Black women and birthing people experience increased structural and 
 financial barriers to accessing prenatal and postpartum care, including 
 maternal mental health care;
Whereas COVID-19, which has disproportionately harmed Black Americans, is 
 associated with an increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes and 
 maternal and neonatal complications;
Whereas new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has 
 indicated that since the COVID-19 pandemic, the maternal mortality rate 
 for Black women has increased by 26 percent;
Whereas Black pregnant women have historically low rates of vaccinations, which 
 is associated with higher disparities in maternal health outcomes;
Whereas, even as there is growing concern about improving access to mental 
 health services, Black women are least likely to have access to mental 
 health screenings, treatment, and support before, during, and after 
 pregnancy;
Whereas Black pregnant and postpartum workers are disproportionately denied 
 reasonable accommodations in the workplace, leading to adverse pregnancy 
 outcomes;
Whereas Black pregnant people disproportionately experience surveillance and 
 punishment, including shackling incarcerated people in labor, drug 
 testing mothers and infants without informed consent, separating mothers 
 from their newborns, and criminalizing pregnancy outcomes such as 
 miscarriage;
Whereas Black women and birthing people experience pervasive racial injustice in 
 the criminal justice, social, and health care systems;
Whereas justice-informed, culturally congruent models of care are beneficial to 
 Black women; and
Whereas an investment must be made in--

    (1) maternity care for Black women and birthing people, including care 
led by the communities most affected by the maternal health crisis in the 
United States;

    (2) continuous health insurance coverage to support Black women and 
birthing people for the full postpartum period at least 1 year after giving 
birth; and

    (3) policies that support and promote affordable, comprehensive, and 
holistic maternal health care that is free from gender and racial 
discrimination, regardless of incarceration: Now, therefore, be it

 Resolved, That the Senate recognizes that--

    (1) Black women are experiencing high, disproportionate 
 rates of maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States;

    (2) the alarmingly high rates of maternal mortality among 
 Black women are unacceptable and unjust;

    (3) in order to better mitigate the effects of systemic and 
 structural racism, Congress must work toward ensuring that the 
 Black community has--
        (A) safe and affordable housing;
        (B) transportation equity;
            (C) nutritious food;
            (D) clean air and water;
        (E) environments free from toxins;
        (F) decriminalization, removal of civil penalties, 
 end of surveillance, and end of mandatory reporting 
 within the criminal and family regulation system;
        (G) safety and freedom from violence, especially 
 violence perpetrated by government actors;
        (H) a living wage;
            (I) equal economic opportunity;
        (J) a sustained and expansive workforce pipeline 
 for diverse perinatal professionals; and
        (K) comprehensive, high-quality, and affordable 
 health care, including access to the full spectrum of 
 reproductive care;

    (4) in order to improve maternal health outcomes, Congress 
 must fully support and encourage policies grounded in the human 
 rights, reproductive justice, and birth justice frameworks that 
 address maternal health inequities;

    (5) Black women and birthing people must be active 
 participants in the policy decisions that impact their lives;

    (6) in order to ensure access to safe and respectful 
 maternal health care for Black birthing people, Congress must 
 pass the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act (H.R. 959), 117th 
 Congress, and other legislation rooted in human rights that 
 seek to improve maternal care and outcomes; and

    (7) Black Maternal Health Week is an opportunity to--
        (A) deepen the national conversation about Black 
 maternal health in the United States;
        (B) amplify and invest in community-driven policy, 
 research, and quality care solutions;
            (C) center the voices of Black Mamas Matter 
 Alliance, Inc., women, families, and stakeholders;
            (D) provide a national platform for Black-led 
 entities and efforts on maternal and mental health, 
 birth equity, and reproductive justice;
        (E) enhance community organizing on Black maternal 
 health; and
        (F) support efforts to increase funding and advance 
 policies for Black-led and centered community-based 
 organizations and perinatal birth workers that provide 
 the full spectrum of reproductive, maternal, and sexual 
 health care.
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