Black Maternal Health Caucus | |
|---|---|
| Founded | April 9, 2019; 6 years ago (2019-04-09) |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C.,USA |
| Political position | Multi-partisancongressional caucus (Mission: "The Black Maternal Health Caucus aims to raise awareness within Congress to establish Black maternal health as a national priority, and explore and advocate for effective, evidence-based, culturally-competent policies and best practices for health outcomes for Black mothers." |
| Seats in theHouse | 111 / 435 |
| Seats in theSenate | 0 / 100 |
| Website | |
| blackmaternalhealthcaucus-underwood | |
TheBlack Maternal Health Caucus is acaucus made up of mostlyAfrican-American members of theUnited States Congress.[1] CongresswomenAlma Adams ofNorth Carolina andLauren Underwood ofIllinois founded the caucus in April 2019 and currently serve as co-chairs.[2][3]
The Black Maternal Health Caucus was founded to 'improve black maternal health outcomes,' with the founders citing statistics that theUnited States has the worst maternal death rates in the developed world, at 18 death per 100,000 live births, and with a higher rate among black women, at 40 deaths per 100,000 live births.[4][5]
Shortly after the formation of the Black Maternal Health Caucus,Senator Kamala Harris sponsored the Maternal CARE Act.[6] If passed, the Maternal CARE Act would serve to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity by providing implicit bias training as a solution for addressing racial bias in health care.[citation needed]
As of 2019, seventy-five members of theUnited States House of Representatives belong to the caucus, including support fromSpeaker of the United States House of RepresentativesNancy Pelosi,House Majority LeaderSteny Hoyer and other leaders within theDemocratic caucus.[7]
In 2020, theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United States highlighted racial disparities in healthcare. Many Black women requiring hospitalization were dying at alarming rates compared to other racial groups.[8]
In 2021, an updated Momnibus was introduced. Sponsoring members of the House of Representatives of include:Sheila Jackson Lee,Nikema Williams, andJamie Raskin.[9] The term "Momnibus" is a word play on "omnibus," which is a single bill submitted to a legislature that combines several diverse matters.[citation needed]
In March 2020,Lauren Underwood introduced the Momnibus Package, "which would require theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention to publicly post data on COVID-19 and pregnancy, disaggregated by race and ethnicity".[10] In May 2023, the legislation, consisting of 13 individual bills, was endorsed by over 200 organizations and Black maternal health advocates, includingPlanned Parenthood Action Fund,March of Dimes,Christy Turlington Burns, andChristine Michel Carter.[11]
