[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 59 (Monday, April 4, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H4133-H4134]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  DATA MAPPING TO SAVE MOMS' LIVES ACT

  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1218) to require the Federal Communications Commission to 
incorporate data on maternal health outcomes into its broadband health 
maps, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1218

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Data Mapping to Save Moms' 
     Lives Act''.

     SEC. 2. MAPPING BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY AND MATERNAL HEALTH 
                   OUTCOMES.

       (a) Incorporation of Maternal Mortality and Severe Maternal 
     Morbidity Data.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications 
     Commission shall incorporate publicly available data on 
     maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, including 
     for not less than 1 year postpartum, into the Mapping 
     Broadband Health in America platform of the Commission.
       (b) Consultation With CDC.--The Federal Communications 
     Commission shall consult with the Director of the Centers for 
     Disease Control and Prevention regarding the maternal 
     mortality and severe maternal morbidity data that should be 
     incorporated under subsection (a).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.R. 1218.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1218, the Data 
Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act.
  Tragically, the United States has the highest rate of maternal 
mortality across developed nations. While maternal mortality and 
morbidity are problems that affect women across the country, these 
concerns are especially pronounced in Black and Native American 
communities. Maternal mortality rates for Black women are three times 
higher than those of White women, and the rate of death for American 
Indian and Alaska Native women is two times higher.
  This legislation seeks to provide a visualization for the public on 
how connectivity and these health data intersect. It will help guide 
policymakers on how to target telehealth services to vulnerable 
populations and communities at risk in an effort to reduce maternal 
mortality and morbidity in this country.
  For pregnant women, access to telehealth services like routine 
checkups, health monitoring, and updated prescriptions can go a long 
way in ensuring the health and safety of both the mother and child.
  Specifically, under this legislation, the FCC is required to 
integrate publicly available data related to maternal health, including 
mortality and severe morbidity, into its Mapping Broadband Health in 
America platform. The FCC will be required to consult with the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention to determine the right data to 
include for this effort.
  I commend Representatives Butterfield, Bilirakis, and Blunt Rochester 
for their bipartisan efforts on this legislation. I also thank 
Subcommittee Chairman Doyle for working to get this legislation through 
the Communications and Technology Subcommittee.
  I also commend you, Madam Speaker, as the vice chair of the Energy 
and Commerce Committee, because you have spent quite a bit of time 
dealing with these maternal mortality issues.
  This initiative, combined with other good work we and the executive 
branch have done, will help us better understand the communications 
barriers some pregnant women face so that we can then explore 
connectivity policies that help keep these women safe and healthy.
  I know the Senate has passed a companion bill recently, led by 
Senators Rosen and Fischer. Although there are some technical 
differences between the two bills, my hope is that we can get those 
worked out as quickly as possible and get this legislation to the 
President's desk.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Data Mapping to 
Save Moms' Lives Act in a bipartisan manner, and I reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1218, the Data Mapping to 
Save Moms' Lives Act, which was introduced by Representatives 
Butterfield and Bilirakis.
  Maternal mortality continues to affect mothers and children across 
the United States, particularly in rural areas. The Energy and Commerce 
Committee has worked to address this preventable issue, but 
unfortunately, challenges remain.
  Congress has previously taken steps to understand which communities 
are most affected and what we can do to reverse this alarming trend.
  Today's legislation will build on existing tools of the Federal 
Communications Commission by incorporating publicly available data on 
maternal health outcomes into its Mapping Broadband Health in America 
tool. The FCC would be required to work with the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention to determine which maternal health outcomes to 
include.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), the cosponsor of this 
legislation.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Madam Speaker, we know that maternal mortality has 
been increasing in the U.S. while declining in other countries, 
unfortunately. We know these rates are even worse for Black women, 
Madam Speaker.
  We also know that lack of broadband in today's society can lead to 
isolation, poorer education outcomes, and fewer work opportunities. 
What we don't know is how broadband access impacts maternal health 
outcomes. Finding this out is our goal.
  At the end of the day, we all want to lower maternal mortality rates 
and ensure that babies are both healthy and grow up with the love and 
support of their mothers.
  I am proud to co-lead this legislation, a bipartisan piece of 
legislation, with my good friend, Mr. Butterfield, who we are going to 
miss because he is retiring after this term, and Ms. Blunt Rochester, 
another fellow member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
  Madam Speaker, I urge passage of this great bill.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Balderson).
  Mr. BALDERSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Data 
Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act.
  The United States is one of the few Nations in the world experiencing 
a rise in pregnancy-related deaths, claiming the lives of hundreds of 
moms each year. Behind each of these cases are stories of heartbreak 
and devastation for families and communities.

  We must do more to improve health outcomes for moms and babies across 
this country, and telehealth services will play a critical role in 
doing so.

[[Page H4134]]

This bill would instruct the FCC to work with the CDC to incorporate 
publicly available data on severe maternal morbidity and mortality into 
its Mapping Broadband Health in America platform.
  Using this data, we can more accurately identify the communities with 
high maternal morbidity and mortality rates that lack broadband 
connectivity. This will allow for the government to better target areas 
with critical telehealth services and, ultimately, pave the way for 
better health outcomes for new and expecting mothers.
  Madam Speaker, I strongly urge all of my colleagues to support this 
bill.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, again, I rise in support of H.R. 1218, the 
Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act, and I urge all Members to support 
this legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I urge bipartisan support for this bill 
as part of our continued effort to address maternal mortality, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 
1218, the ``Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act'' which directs the 
Federal Communications Commission to identify areas of the country 
where poor maternal health rates overlap with deficiencies in broadband 
access that are needed to effectively deploy telehealth services.
  In the United States, black women are 2 to 6 times more likely to die 
from complications of pregnancy than white women, depending on where 
they live.
  Dating back to maternity mortality analysis from 1979 to 1992, the 
overall pregnancy-related mortality ratio was 25.1 deaths per 100,000 
for black women, 10.3 for Hispanic women, and 6.0 for non-Hispanic 
white women.
  During 2011-2015, the pregnancy-related mortality ratios were--
  42.8 deaths per 100,000 live births for black non-Hispanic women;
  32.5 deaths per 100,000 live births for American Indian/Alaskan 
Native non-Hispanic women;
  14.2 deaths per 100,000 live births for Asian/Pacific Islander non-
Hispanic women;
  13.0 deaths per 100,000 live births for white non-Hispanic women; and
  11.4 deaths per 100,000 live births for Hispanic women.
  Madam Speaker, Black women in the United States experience 
unacceptably poor maternal health outcomes, including 
disproportionately high rates of death related to pregnancy or 
childbirth.
  Both societal and health system factors contribute to high rates of 
poor health outcomes and maternal mortality for Black women, who are 
more likely to experience barriers to obtaining quality care and often 
face racial discrimination throughout their lives.
  Health inequity stems from economic inequality and its contributing 
factors including sexism and racism. To that point, Black women are 
typically paid just 63 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-
Hispanic men.
  Median wages for Black women in the United States are $36,227 per 
year, which is $21,698 less than the median wages for white, non-
Hispanic men.
  These lost wages mean Black women and their families have less money 
to support themselves and their families and may have to choose between 
essential resources like housing, childcare, food, and health care.
  These trade-offs are evident in Black women's health outcomes and use 
of medical care.
  Compared to white women, Black women are more likely to be uninsured, 
face greater financial barriers to care when they need it and are less 
likely to access prenatal care.
  Black women experience higher rates of many preventable disease and 
chronic health conditions including diabetes, hypertension, and 
cardiovascular disease.
  When Black women choose to become pregnant, these health conditions 
influence both maternal and infant health outcomes.
  To improve Black women's maternal health, we need a multi-faceted 
approach that addresses Black women's health across the lifespan, 
improves access to quality care, addresses social determinants of 
health and provides greater economic security. Comprehensive data on 
maternal health is certainly a part of that approach.
  Black women are three to four times more likely to experience a 
pregnancy-related death than white women.
  Black women are more likely to experience preventable maternal death 
compared with white women.
  Black women's heightened risk of pregnancy-related death spans income 
and education levels.
  Black women experience more maternal health complications than white 
women. Black women are more likely to experience complications 
throughout the course of their pregnancies than white women.
  Black women are three times more likely to have fibroids (benign 
tumors that grow in the uterus and can cause postpartum hemorrhaging) 
than white women, and the fibroids occur at younger ages and grow more 
quickly for Black women.
  Black women display signs of preeclampsia earlier in pregnancy than 
white women. This condition, which involves high blood pressure during 
pregnancy, can lead to severe complications including death if 
improperly treated.
  Black women experience physical ``weathering,'' meaning their bodies 
age faster than white women's due to exposure to chronic stress linked 
to socioeconomic disadvantage and discrimination over the life course, 
thus making pregnancy riskier at an earlier age.
  Primarily Black-serving hospitals provide lower quality maternity 
care, where seventy-five percent of Black women give birth.
  Those same hospitals also have higher rates of maternal complications 
than other hospitals. They also perform worse on 12 of 15 birth 
outcomes, including elective deliveries, non-elective cesarean births 
and maternal mortality.
  Many Black women have a difficult time accessing the reproductive 
health care that meets their needs. Access to reproductive health care, 
which helps women plan their families, improves health outcomes for 
women and children.
  Black women experience higher rates of unintended pregnancies than 
all other racial groups, in part because of disparities in access to 
quality contraceptive care and counseling.
  Many Black women lack access to quality contraceptive care and 
counseling.
  For example, in a recent analysis of California women enrolled in 
Medicaid, Black women were less likely than white or Latina women to 
receive postpartum contraception, and when they did receive it, they 
were less likely to receive a highly effective method.
  Black women's access to abortion is limited, and they may be more 
likely to experience the ill effects of abortion restrictions--such as 
delayed care, increased costs or lack of access to care.
  Black and Hispanic adults in the United States remain less likely 
than White adults to say they own a traditional computer or have high-
speed internet at home, according to a Pew Research Center survey 
conducted Jan. 25 to Feb. 8, 2021.
  In addition, only 40 percent of Black adults report having broadband 
access in their homes. This figure is another testament to the 
inhibitions black women face in getting the care they need, which this 
act aims to resolve.
  It is for that reason Madam Speaker I support the ``Data Mapping to 
Save Moms' Lives Act.''
  Comprehensive data on maternal health will play a role in saving the 
lives of pregnant black women, so I am proud to support this Act.
  Though there is still much work to be done, this bill is a good first 
step in the right direction. I urge my colleagues to support this 
potentially life-saving piece of legislation.
  For far too long black women have disproportionately suffered lower 
maternal health rates and outcomes. The passage of this Act finally 
provides us a route to remediation.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1218, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

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