III
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION 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
APRIL10, 2025
Mr. B
OOKER(for himself, Mr. WARNOCK, Mr. PADILLA, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr.
C
OONS, Ms. SLOTKIN, Mr. SANDERS, Ms. ROSEN, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mrs.
M
URRAY, Ms. BLUNTROCHESTER, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Ms. SMITH, Ms.
B
ALDWIN, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. WELCH, Ms. WARREN, Mr. MARKEY, and
Mr. V
ANHOLLEN) 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 Alli-
ance, Inc., to bring national attention to the maternal
and reproductive health crisis in the United States and
the importance of reducing maternal mortality and mor-
bidity 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
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•SRES 172 IS
times more likely than White women to die from preg-
nancy-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 ‘‘mater-
nal 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 mor-
tality 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 mor-
tality 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;
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Whereas the leading causes of maternal mortality among
Black women and birthing people include obstetric embo-
lism, obstetric hemorrhage, eclampsia and preeclampsia,
and postpartum cardiomyopathy, and these conditions
impact Black women and birthing people disproportion-
ately;
Whereas Black mothers have the highest rate of cesarean sec-
tion 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 re-
productive 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 ac-
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cess to reproductive health care due to low Medicaid re-
imbursements, rising costs, and ongoing staff shortages;
Whereas Black midwives, doulas, perinatal health workers,
and community-based organizations provide holistic ma-
ternal health care, but face systemic, structural, eco-
nomic, and legal barriers to licensure, reimbursement,
and provision of care;
Whereas Black women and birthing people experience in-
creased structural and financial barriers to accessing pre-
natal 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 pan-
demic, 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, treat-
ment, and support before, during, and after pregnancy;
Whereas Black pregnant and postpartum workers are dis-
proportionately denied reasonable accommodations in the
workplace, leading to adverse pregnancy outcomes;
Whereas Black pregnant people disproportionately experience
surveillance and punishment, including shackling incar-
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cerated 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 perva-
sive 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 af-
fected 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
(1) Black women are experiencing high, dis-2
proportionate rates of maternal mortality and mor-3
bidity in the United States; 4
(2) the alarmingly high rates of maternal mor-5
tality among Black women are unacceptable and un-6
just; 7
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(3) in order to better mitigate the effects of 1
systemic and structural racism, Congress must work 2
toward ensuring that the Black community has— 3
(A) safe and affordable housing; 4
(B) transportation equity; 5
(C) nutritious food; 6
(D) clean air and water; 7
(E) environments free from toxins; 8
(F) decriminalization, removal of civil pen-9
alties, end of surveillance, and end of manda-10
tory reporting within the criminal and family 11
regulation system; 12
(G) safety and freedom from violence, es-13
pecially violence perpetrated by government ac-14
tors; 15
(H) a living wage; 16
(I) equal economic opportunity; 17
(J) a sustained and expansive workforce 18
pipeline for diverse perinatal professionals; and 19
(K) comprehensive, high-quality, and af-20
fordable health care, including access to the full 21
spectrum of reproductive care; 22
(4) in order to improve maternal health out-23
comes, Congress must fully support and encourage 24
policies grounded in the human rights, reproductive 25
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justice, and birth justice frameworks that address 1
maternal health inequities; 2
(5) Black women and birthing people must be 3
active participants in the policy decisions that im-4
pact their lives; 5
(6) in order to ensure access to safe and re-6
spectful maternal health care for Black birthing peo-7
ple, Congress must pass the Black Maternal Health 8
Momnibus Act (H.R. 959), 117th Congress, and 9
other legislation rooted in human rights that seek to 10
improve maternal care and outcomes; and 11
(7) Black Maternal Health Week is an oppor-12
tunity to— 13
(A) deepen the national conversation about 14
Black maternal health in the United States; 15
(B) amplify and invest in community-driv-16
en policy, research, and quality care solutions; 17
(C) center the voices of Black Mamas Mat-18
ter Alliance, Inc., women, families, and stake-19
holders; 20
(D) provide a national platform for Black- 21
led entities and efforts on maternal and mental 22
health, birth equity, and reproductive justice; 23
(E) enhance community organizing on 24
Black maternal health; and 25
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(F) support efforts to increase funding and 1
advance policies for Black-led and centered 2
community-based organizations and perinatal 3
birth workers that provide the full spectrum of 4
reproductive, maternal, and sexual health care. 5
Æ
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