Category: News & Press

UNDERWOOD, BOOKER, ADAMS, KELLY, AND BEATTY URGE PRESIDENT BIDEN, SPEAKER PELOSI, AND LEADER SCHUMER TO INCLUDE CRITICAL INVESTMENTS TO ADVANCE MATERNAL HEALTH EQUITY IN FINAL BUILD BACK BETTER PACKAGE

WASHINGTON – In a letter to President Joe Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Representatives Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Alma Adams (NC-12), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Congressional Black Caucus Chair Joyce Beatty (OH-03) pushed to ensure that investments from the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act are included in full in the final Build Back Better package. Members also urged the leaders to build on the critical progress made through the American Rescue […]

COVID-19 Vaccination for Pregnant People to Prevent Serious Illness, Deaths, and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes from COVID-19

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends urgent action to increase Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination among people who are pregnant, recently pregnant (including those who are lactating), who are trying to become pregnant now, or who might become pregnant in the future. CDC strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccination either before or during pregnancy […]

244 Organizations Sent a Letter In Support of Swiftly Enacting the Historic Maternal Health Investments in the #BuildBackBetter Act

The 244 undersigned organizations, dedicated to the health and well-being of birthing people and their families, write to express our enthusiastic support and appreciation for the maternal health provisions included in the Committee on Energy and Commerce print of the Build Back Better Act. We appreciate the Committee’s demonstrated commitment to addressing our nation’s maternal […]

COVID-19 Vaccination among American Indian and Alaska Native People

With the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine underway, ensuring equitable and rapid distribution to the U.S. population will be important for mitigating the disproportionate impacts of the pandemic for people of color, preventing widening racial health disparities going forward, and achieving broad population immunity. Reflecting underlying inequities, the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected American Indian and […]

The Impacts of Climate Change on Alaska Native Maternal Health

Each year, 700 women in the United States die as a result of pregnancy-related complications. In fact, the United States has the highest maternal mortality ratio of all high-income countries—16.7 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. For Indigenous/Alaskan Native women, that number is even higher: Indigenous/Alaska Natives are 2.3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than their […]

Black Maternal Health Caucus Co-Chairs Underwood & Adams Celebrate Historic Momnibus Investments Included in Energy & Commerce Committee Build Back Better Markup

The Energy & Commerce Committee advanced critical investments from the Momnibus, including funding to address social determinants of maternal health, grow and diversify the perinatal workforce, and support community-based organizations working to promote maternal health equity Black Maternal Health Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL-14) and Rep. Alma Adams (NC-12) applauded the Energy and Commerce Committee for advancing critical investments from […]

Postpartum depression on the rise, especially for women of color, during COVID-19 pandemic

Although the California Department of Public Health has not released figures on the number of women with postpartum depression since 2018, experts say that an increase in calls from women asking for help from local nonprofit organizations, along with lengthening hospital waiting lists, indicate that postpartum depression cases may have increased dramatically over the course […]

Reps. Robin Kelly, Yvette Clarke, Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Hispanic Caucus Urge Leadership to Permanently Close Medicaid Coverage Gap

Leaders of the CBC and CHC Urge Leadership to Use Economic Recovery Package to Permanently Close the Medicaid Coverage Gap, Bring Affordable Healthcare Coverage to Millions of Americans Congresswoman Robin L. Kelly (D-IL), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. […]