Maternity care caucus co-chair representatives Herrera Beutler and Roybal-Allard secure maternity care victories

At the end of July, Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, and Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Los Angeles, the founding co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Maternity Care, celebrated the inclusion of key Maternity Care Caucus priorities in H. R. 7617. The domestic appropriations bill includes funding for the Department of Health and Human Services. The congresswomen successfully advocated for provisions in this bill to promote maternal, infant and child health. The bill includes provisions for reducing health disparity and maternal mortality, supports low-income and disadvantaged pregnant women and their families, strengthens screening of newborns for heritable disorders in newborns, promotes breastfeeding, protects the mental health of mothers and more. 

“It’s vital we prioritize the health and safety of moms and their babies across the country as the U.S. continues to see staggering maternal mortality rates, preterm births, and stillbirths,” Herrera Beutler said in a news release. “That’s why I’ve partnered with my Maternity Care Caucus Co-Chair Congresswoman Roybal-Allard to expand maternal mortality review committees, increase health education and perinatal depression screenings, and expand access to birth centers and midwifery education. Our mission is to ensure our moms and babies receive the life-saving services they need, and I’ll continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to achieve that goal.”

“I am grateful to Chairwoman DeLauro and Ranking Member Cole for supporting these critical investments in maternal and infant health programs in the FY21 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill,” Roybal-Allard said.“As Maternity Care Caucus Co-Chair, I believe it is time for policymakers to prioritize optimal maternal and infant health for all families in the United States. The robust funding choices and directive language in this bill will improve maternity care for all mothers and babies, and will help address pervasive maternal and infant health disparities that disproportionately hurt our minority communities. I am proud to be working with my co-chair Congresswoman Herrera Beutler to raise awareness of the challenges in our maternity care system, and to effectively fund critical programs and initiatives that have been shown to improve the lives and health of mothers and babies in all our communities.”