[Pages S2570-S2571]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 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

  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:

                              S. Res. 172

       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

[[Page S2571]]

     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.

                          ____________________