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Statement

MomsRising’s Tina Sherman: Congress Must Pass a Budget that Prioritizes the Health of Mothers and Babies

August 25, 2021
Workplace Justice, Breastfeeding, Paid Family & Medical Leave, Maternal Health, Maternal Mortality

Lisa Lederer, 202/371-1996

Statement from Tina Sherman, Senior Campaign Director for Maternal Justice at MomsRising, the online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on the need for Congress to address the maternal health crisis and eliminate barriers to breastfeeding in the FY2022 budget:

“America’s moms are looking to Congress to pass a budget that includes long overdue investments that will alleviate our country’s maternal health crisis, which is affecting communities of color the most. It is unacceptable that the United States has the highest rate of maternal deaths during labor and delivery of any developed nation, and that Black women’s maternal mortality rate is four times that of white women. There is no reason why -- in the richest country in the entire world -- systemic disparities and implicit bias in the health care system continue to take such a terrible toll. Congress must address this crisis with the urgency it deserves. 

“It is also shameful and unjust that due to systemic barriers, fewer than half of women in the United States are still breastfeeding at six months postpartum, which research shows boosts maternal and infant health. Lack of paid leave, workplace accommodations, and lactation support prevent many women, especially women of color, from reaching their breastfeeding goals. Today we kick off Black Breastfeeding Week coupled with National Breastfeeding Month, and moms are crying out for change. The time for action is now. 

“Congress must make the health of moms and infants a top priority in the next budget. That means making the investments in the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, which would address every dimension of our maternal health crisis. We must also build the care infrastructure moms need to meet their breastfeeding goals, including paid family and medical leave. MomsRising will not stop fighting until Congress makes the investments we need to prioritize the health of mothers and babies.”

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.