[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 59 (Thursday, April 12, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H3159]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE IS A SERIOUS HEALTH CRISIS

  (Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention 
to a serious health crisis in America: the maternal mortality rate in 
the country is worse than in the rest of the developed world.
  In fact, the United States is the only industrialized nation where 
the number of pregnancy-related deaths is on the rise. This is 
particularly true for Black women, who are nearly four times more 
likely to die from pregnancy complications than White women.
  Additionally, The New York Times reported yesterday that Black 
infants are now more than twice as likely to die as White infants, a 
disparity which is larger now than it was in 1850.
  Black Maternal Health Week started yesterday. Today, I stand before 
Congress not only to raise awareness, but to encourage my colleagues to 
take swift action and fund maternal healthcare clinics in 2019.

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