Ms: Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act Addresses “Urgent Crisis” of Maternal Mortality

The number of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. is over two times that of other wealthy nations, according to the Commonwealth Fund—and this rate continues to rise. This issue disproportionately impacts people of color: Black women and pregnant people die at rates three to four times higher than their white counterparts, and they experience 2.3 times the infant mortality rate compared to their white counterparts; Native people are more than twice as likely to die from pregnancy; and Hispanic people aren’t far behind. Clearly, women and people of color are suffering from an epidemic.

To address this crisis, on Monday, several members of the Black Maternal Health Caucus unveiled the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021—a legislative package to address the urgent maternal health crisis in the U.S. In the House, the bill was introduced by Reps. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) and Alma S. Adams (D-N.C.); in the Senate, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and other members of the Black Maternal Health Caucus are leading the effort…