[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 160 (Thursday, October 2, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S10423]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REDUCING MATERNAL MORTALITY

  Mr. NELSON of Nebraska. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 
the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee be discharged from 
further consideration of S. Res. 616 and the Senate proceed to its 
immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 616) reducing maternal mortality both 
     at home and abroad.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. NELSON of Nebraska. I ask unanimous consent the Lincoln amendment 
to the resolution, which is at the desk, be agreed to, the resolution 
as amended be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or 
debate, and any statements be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 5694) was agreed to, as follows:

       On page 3, line 4, strike ``greater'' and insert ``more 
     effective''.
       On page 3, lines 6 and 7, strike ``maternal health as a 
     human right'' and insert ``that the right to access quality 
     and affordable health care is essential to improving maternal 
     health''.

  The resolution (S. Res. 616), as amended, was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 616

       Whereas more than 536,000 women die during pregnancy and 
     childbirth every year which is one every minute;
       Whereas in 15 percent of all pregnancies, the complications 
     are life-threatening;
       Whereas girls under 15 are 5 times more likely to die in 
     childbirth than women in their 20s;
       Whereas nearly all these deaths are preventable;
       Whereas survival rates greatly depend upon the distance and 
     time a woman must travel to get skilled emergency medical 
     care;
       Whereas care by skilled birth attendants, nurses, midwives, 
     or doctors during pregnancy and childbirth, including 
     emergency services, and care for mothers and newborns is 
     essential;
       Whereas the poorer the household, the greater the risk of 
     maternal death, and 99 percent of maternal deaths occur in 
     developing countries;
       Whereas newborns whose mothers die of any cause are 3 to 10 
     times more likely to die within 2 years than those whose 
     mothers survive;
       Whereas more than 1,000,000 children are left motherless 
     and vulnerable every year;
       Whereas young girls are often pulled from school and 
     required to fill their lost mother's roles;
       Whereas a mother's death lowers family income and 
     productivity which affects the entire community;
       Whereas in countries with similar levels of economic 
     development, maternal mortality is highest where women's 
     status is lowest;
       Whereas the United States ranks 41st among 171 countries in 
     the latest UN list ranking maternal mortality;
       Whereas the overall United States maternal mortality ratio 
     is now 11 deaths per 100,000 live births, one of the highest 
     rates among industrialized nations;
       Whereas United States maternal deaths have remained roughly 
     stable since 1982 and have not declined significantly since 
     then;
       Whereas the Centers for Disease Control estimates that the 
     true level of United States maternal deaths may be 1.3 to 3 
     times higher than the reported rate; and
       Whereas ethnic and racial disparities in maternal mortality 
     rates persist and in the United States maternal mortality 
     among black women is almost four times the rate among non-
     Hispanic white women: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) makes a stronger commitment to reducing maternal 
     mortality both at home and abroad through more effective 
     financial investment and participation in global initiatives; 
     and
       (2) recognizes that the right to access quality and 
     affordable health care is essential to improving maternal 
     health.

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