Title: A resolution recognizing the week of April 11 through April 17, 2021, as "Black Maternal Health Week" to bring national attention to the maternal health crisis in the United States and the importance of reducing maternal mortality and morbidity among Black women and birthing persons.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This resolution recognizes the opportunity for Black Maternal Health Week to raise national awareness of the state of Black maternal health in the United States.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 153 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 153

  Recognizing the week of April 11 through April 17, 2021, as ``Black 
  Maternal Health Week'' to bring national attention to the maternal 
   health crisis in the United States and the importance of reducing 
    maternal mortality and morbidity among Black women and birthing 
                                persons.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 13, 2021

Mr. Booker (for himself, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Blumenthal, 
 Mr. Markey, Ms. Cortez Masto, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Menendez, 
   Mr. Padilla, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Brown, Mr. Warnock, Mr. Peters, Ms. 
Baldwin, Ms. Smith, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Bennet, 
Ms. Klobuchar, Mrs. Gillibrand, and Ms. Rosen) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 
                          Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Recognizing the week of April 11 through April 17, 2021, as ``Black 
  Maternal Health Week'' to bring national attention to the maternal 
   health crisis in the United States and the importance of reducing 
    maternal mortality and morbidity among Black women and birthing 
                                persons.

Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black 
        women in the United States are 2 to 3 times more likely than White women 
        to die from pregnancy-related causes;
Whereas Black women 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) increasing rapidly;

Whereas the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among affluent 
        countries, in part because of the disproportionate mortality rate among 
        Black women;
Whereas Black women are 49 percent more likely than White women to deliver 
        prematurely;
Whereas the high rates of maternal mortality among Black women span across--

    (1) income levels;

    (2) education levels; and

    (3) socioeconomic status;

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 the maternal 
        healthcare experiences and outcomes of Black birthing people;
Whereas a fair and wide distribution of resources and birth options, especially 
        with regard to reproductive healthcare services and maternal health 
        programming, are critical to closing the racial gap in maternal health 
        outcomes;
Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted issues within the broken 
        healthcare system in the United States and the harm of that system to 
        Black women and birthing persons by exposing--

    (1) increased barriers to accessing prenatal and postpartum care, 
including maternal mental healthcare;

    (2) the lack of uniform hospital policies permitting doulas and support 
persons to be present during labor and delivery;

    (3) inconsistent hospital policies regarding the separation of the 
newborn from a mother that is suspected positive for COVID-19;

    (4) complexities in COVID-19 vaccine and therapeutics trials including 
pregnant and lactating people;

    (5) increased rates of caesarean section deliveries;

    (6) shortened hospital stays following delivery;

    (7) provider shortages and lack of sufficient policies to allow home 
births attended by midwives;

    (8) insufficient practical support for delivery of care by midwives, 
including telehealth access;

    (9) adverse economic impact on Black mothers and families due to job 
loss or reduction in income during quarantine and the pandemic recession; 
and

    (10) pervasive racial injustice against Black people in the criminal 
justice, social, and healthcare systems;

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 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 persons, including 
support of 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 persons for the full postpartum period up to at least 1 year after 
giving birth; and

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

    Resolved, That the Senate recognizes--
            (1) that Black women are experiencing high, 
        disproportionate rates of maternal mortality and morbidity in 
        the United States;
            (2) that the alarmingly high rates of maternal mortality 
        and morbidity among Black women are unacceptable;
            (3) that, 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) fair treatment within the criminal justice 
                system;
                    (G) safety and freedom from violence;
                    (H) a living wage;
                    (I) equal economic opportunity;
                    (J) a sustained workforce pipeline for diverse 
                perinatal professionals; and
                    (K) comprehensive, quality, and affordable 
                healthcare with access to the full spectrum of 
                reproductive care;
            (4) that, in order to improve maternal health outcomes, 
        Congress must fully support and encourage policies grounded in 
        the human rights and reproductive justice frameworks that 
        address Black maternal health inequity;
            (5) that Black women and birthing persons must be active 
        participants in the policy decisions that impact their lives;
            (6) that, in order to ensure access to safe and respectful 
        maternal healthcare for Black women and birthing persons, 
        Congress must pass the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 
        2021;
            (7) that Black Maternal Health Week is an opportunity to--
                    (A) raise national awareness of the state of Black 
                maternal health in the United States;
                    (B) amplify the voices of Black women and birthing 
                persons, families, and communities;
                    (C) serve as a national platform for--
                            (i) entities led by Black women; and
                            (ii) efforts on maternal health; and
                    (D) enhance community organizing on Black maternal 
                health; and
            (8) the significance of April 11 through April 17, 2021, as 
        ``Black Maternal Health Week''.
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