[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 65 (Thursday, April 15, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H1797]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1215
                 RECOGNIZING BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH WEEK

  (Ms. ADAMS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the fourth annual 
Black Maternal Health Week.
  As the founder and co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, I 
want to take this time to speak briefly about the Black maternal health 
crisis in America, where Black mamas are disproportionately and 
needlessly dying.
  Across the country, Black women from all walks of life are dying from 
preventable pregnancy-related complications at three and four times the 
rate of non-Hispanic, White women. However, 60 percent of Black 
maternal deaths are preventable.
  Research suggests that the cumulative stress of racism and sexism 
undermines Black women's health, making them more vulnerable to 
complications that endanger their lives and the lives of their infants. 
Unfortunately, current healthcare practices are inadequate in 
addressing the health consequences of living with stress.
  The Black Maternal Omnibus Act of 2021, a package of 12 bills, will 
comprehensively address every dimension of the maternal health crisis 
in America to save lives and end racial and ethnic disparities in 
maternal health outcomes.
  This crisis demands urgent attention and serious action to save the 
lives of Black mothers, women of color, and other marginalized women 
across the country.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues and this Congress to stand together 
with me to ensure that our mothers and babies have the resources they 
need not only to survive but to thrive. Black mamas can't wait, and 
neither will we.

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