[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 8, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2714-S2715]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                           Women's Healthcare

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, everyone knows that this Sunday is 
Mother's Day, a day when we honor our moms, step moms, our mothers-in-
law, our grandmothers, our wives and all the women who chose to love, 
sacrifice, and care for a child. It is also a day when we celebrate new 
moms-to-be. I am happy to report to you that I am just a few days away 
from having a new granddaughter, which I am really excited about. There 
is a lot of excitement and happiness in our family, and it will be 
intensified coming this Sunday on Mother's Day.
  My wife and I have three beautiful kids, and we have now five 
wonderful grandchildren, with a sixth one on the way. There is nothing 
more exciting than learning of a new addition to your family, and there 
is nothing more sobering than the state of maternal and infant 
healthcare in this great Nation. I can think of no better way to 
celebrate and honor Mother's Day than to immediately commit on a 
bipartisan basis to enact change that will improve the health outcomes 
for new moms and babies nationwide. Too often in our country, new moms 
and infants, especially women and babies of color, are dying from 
completely preventable health complications.
  Listen to this. The United States is 1 of only 13 countries in the 
world where the maternal mortality rate is worse today than it was 25 
years ago. Over the past 30 years, our maternal mortality rate has more 
than doubled. In the United States of America, with all of our 
hospitals and doctors and medical knowledge, nationwide more than 700 
women die every year as a result of pregnancy. More than 70,000 
experience severe, near-fatal complications. In my home State of 
Illinois, 73 women die every year due to pregnancy-related 
complications, and 70 percent of these deaths are preventable.
  These deaths impact women of color at significantly higher rates. 
Black women in the United States are three to four times more likely 
than White women to die as a result of pregnancy. In Illinois, African-
American women are six times more likely than White women to die of 
pregnancy-related complications.
  I had a press conference at a University of Chicago hospital on this 
subject. One of the presenters had done even deeper research than we 
had in preparation, and she reported to me something that really opened 
my eyes. This racial distinction bears no relation to poverty or 
education. An African-American woman, well educated, from a family with 
resources, is still just as vulnerable as those in a lesser position 
economically when it comes to this racial disparity. Not only are we 
losing moms, we are losing babies. This is incredible.
  Currently the United States ranks 32 out of 35 of the wealthiest 
nations when it comes to infant mortality. Every year more than 23,000 
infants die in this country, largely due to factors that, in many 
cases, can be prevented--birth defects, low birth weight, and maternal 
complications. Again, the African-American community is impacted more 
severely. In the United States, babies of color are twice as likely to 
die as White babies. The racial disparity is greater than it was in the 
year 1850 in the United States. Something has to be done.
  I joined with Congresswoman Robin Kelly of Illinois and my colleague 
Senator Tammy Duckworth, and we introduced the appropriately named 
MOMMA Act.
  First and foremost, our bill would expand the length of time that a 
new mom can keep her Medicaid health coverage.
  Currently, Medicaid has to cover women for only 2 months postpartum. 
Our bill expands it to a year. Given that 60 percent of maternal deaths 
occur in the weeks and months after delivery, it is imperative that new 
mothers be able to keep their health coverage longer.
  Next, the MOMMA's Act would improve access to doulas. Too often, 
disparities in maternal and infant mortality are rooted in structural 
racism in healthcare, meaning African-American women often receive 
poorer quality care than White women simply because of the color of 
their skin. Black women are not often listened to or taken seriously by 
healthcare providers. Doulas can help provide education, advocacy, and 
support for women whose voices are being ignored.
  To this point, our bill would also improve implicit bias and cultural 
competency training among healthcare providers.
  Lastly, our bill would provide improved hospital coordination 
reporting on maternal health outcomes and ensure implementation of 
services to improve care.
  My bill is not the only one on this subject. Senator Kamala Harris 
has introduced a bill to help train medical providers to avoid racial 
bias. Senator Elizabeth Warren suggests giving hospitals a financial 
bonus for successful health outcome improvements. Senator Cory has a 
bill to improve access to primary care providers and doulas. Senator 
Kirsten Gillibrand has a bill to provide States and hospitals with 
needed funding to develop and implement maternal safety best practices. 
There is no shortage of legislative ideas that would help improve 
maternal and infant health outcomes. Yet, unfortunately, we are not 
considering them.
  We even changed the rules in the Senate a few weeks ago, and the 
Republican leader came to the floor and said we need more time for 
legislation.

[[Page S2715]]

There has not been much legislation going on in this Senate in the last 
few weeks.
  Would it not be nice if we had a good, bipartisan bill that addresses 
this issue of maternal and infant mortality in time for Mother's Day? 
There is still time tomorrow for the leader, Senator McConnell, to call 
this measure to the floor, and I hope he will.
  We have to make sure as well--and I will close by saying this--that 
the Affordable Care Act continues to be a strong opportunity for people 
to have access to affordable, quality healthcare and to make certain 
that the lawsuit that emanated from the State of Texas and is now 
working its way through the Federal courts does not take protection 
away from Americans with preexisting conditions. That continues to be a 
threat we have to take seriously.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wyoming.