[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E689]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   POLICYMAKERS MUST PRIORITIZE MATERNAL HEALTH AND PROTECT MEDICAID

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 14, 2026

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address an issue 
that transcends politics because it is about life itself--protecting 
mothers, protecting babies, and protecting the healthcare that millions 
of American families rely on through Medicaid.
  Medicaid is not an abstract government program. It is the foundation 
of maternal and child health in America. It finances more than 42 
percent of all births nationwide, half of the births in rural 
communities, and approximately 60 percent of births to women of color. 
In Illinois alone, Medicaid covers more than 50 percent of the births 
in the state and insures approximately 3.4 million people, including 
nearly 1.5 million children.
  The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 5.7 million Americans 
will lose Medicaid coverage because of new policies that impose 
burdensome administrative requirements and unnecessary barriers to 
maintaining health insurance. These are not simply numbers; they 
represent pregnant mothers, newborn babies, working parents, seniors, 
and children who may lose access to essential medical care.
  For Illinois, the consequences are especially severe. Our state is 
projected to lose approximately $57 billion in federal Medicaid funding 
over the next decade, with estimates reaching approximately $48 billion 
in direct Medicaid reductions. These losses will force hospitals and 
health care providers across our state to make impossible decisions, 
leading to workforce reductions, cuts to obstetric and mental health 
services, and even hospital closures.
  The impact on maternal health cannot be overstated.
  Medicaid guarantees coverage for low-income women throughout 
pregnancy and currently supports prenatal care, labor and delivery, and 
postpartum care. The damage of Medicaid cuts begins even before 
pregnancy. Women without health insurance are less likely to receive 
preventive care or treatment for chronic illnesses, mental health 
conditions, or substance use disorders before becoming pregnant, 
increasing the likelihood of pregnancy complications and poor birth 
outcomes.
  Medicaid cuts will also devastate hospitals serving rural and 
underserved communities, thereby making labor and delivery more 
dangerous. More than 140 labor and delivery units are projected to 
close, forcing expectant mothers to travel farther for care and 
increasing the risk of pregnancy complications. Already, labor and 
delivery units, women's health clinics, emergency departments, and 
birth centers have closed nationwide, leaving thousands of families 
without nearby maternal care.
  Today, 48 States and the District of Columbia have extended 
postpartum Medicaid coverage to twelve months because policymakers on 
both sides of the aisle recognized a simple truth: childbirth does not 
end when a mother leaves the hospital. The first year after birth is 
one of the most medically-vulnerable periods in a woman's life. It is 
during this time that mothers receive treatment for postpartum 
depression, anxiety, hypertension, substance use disorder, and other 
potentially life-threatening complications. Research shows that 
Medicaid reimbursement for maternal health screenings significantly 
increases the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of postpartum mental 
health conditions. Weakening Medicaid threatens these life-saving 
services by shifting additional costs to states that may be forced to 
reduce postpartum coverage, eliminate doula services, home visiting 
programs, and integrated mental health care that have already 
demonstrated measurable success.
  Perhaps nowhere are these dangers more apparent than in Black 
maternal health. Black women remain two to three times more likely to 
die from pregnancy-related complications than white women, while Black 
infants experience mortality rates twice as high as their white 
counterparts. These unacceptable disparities persist because structural 
inequities continue to limit access to quality care before, during, and 
after pregnancy. For communities like many of those I proudly represent 
in Chicago, these cuts will deepen existing disparities instead of 
addressing them. Policies that reduce access to care do not eliminate 
disparities, they widen them.
  Congress should be strengthening maternal health, not dismantling it. 
Healthy mothers build healthy families, and healthy families build 
stronger communities. Every mother deserves a safe pregnancy, every 
baby deserves a healthy start, and every family deserves access to 
quality health care regardless of income or zip code.
  I urge my colleagues to reject these harmful Medicaid cuts and to 
protect maternal health, expand postpartum care, reduce Black maternal 
health disparities, and ensure that every family has the opportunity to 
thrive. The health of our Nation begins with the health of our mothers.

                          ____________________