Jessica Corbett | Common Dreams
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Sen. Cory Booker, follows a CDC report revealing that black and Native American women are three times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes.
A group of congressional Democrats on Wednesday unveiled legislation that aims to tackle the nation’s maternal mortality crisis—which disproportionately affects black and Native American women—by promoting community-based, holistic healthcare for pregnant women and new moms.
“Maternal justice is about ensuring that every mom-to-be is listened to and treated with dignity and respect during and after childbirth.”
—Rep. Ayanna Pressley
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-Mass.), the lead sponsors, introduced the bill just a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released an “absolutely devastating” report that revealed the country’s maternal mortality rate is rising, most of those deaths are preventable, and black and Native American women are three times more likely than their white peers to die of pregnancy-related causes.
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