WASHINGTON D.C. –  Today, Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) joined Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Katie Britt (R-AL) to reintroduce a bipartisan resolution to officially designate January 23 as Maternal Health Awareness Day and help raise public awareness about maternal health outcomes in the United States and promote initiatives to address and eliminate disparities.

“In a country of such great wealth and power, it is heartbreaking that we continue to let down expecting mothers who deserve to feel safe and supported,” said Senator Kim. “The pain of our country’s maternal mortality crisis is felt harshly in New Jersey, disproportionately hurting Black women and devastating too many families. With this resolution, I don’t just stand for awareness but call on my colleagues in Congress to see this urgency, understand the vast majority of maternal deaths are preventable, and help push forward on tangible action to protect lives and be there for growing families.” 

“The United States spends more on health care than any other country, but we still have the highest rate of maternal mortality among our peer countries,” said Senator Booker. “It’s disheartening that Congress has failed to pass comprehensive federal legislation to protect mothers and their babies, and ensure moms receive the essential care they need throughout their pregnancy and postpartum journeys. I remain committed to working across the aisle to create and implement effective policies that address the maternal mortality crisis and promote equitable maternal health care across our nation.” 

“Improving maternal care is not a red or blue issue, it’s an American issue,” said Senator Britt. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in recognizing National Maternal Health Awareness Day, while acknowledging we have more work to do to reduce maternal mortality. I will continue to work across the aisle with my colleagues to improve health outcomes for women throughout their pregnancy journeys and support moms across our nation.” 

In 2018, New Jersey became the first state to acknowledge Maternal Health Awareness Day to help increase awareness. The day provides an opportunity to educate about maternal mortality, morbidity, and disparities in maternal health outcomes, ways to identity and discuss potential signs of emergencies when pregnant, and initiatives to combat disparities and promote equitable maternal healthcare.

Each year in the United States, approximately 800 women die as a result of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, and many as 60,000 women in the United States suffer from a severe maternal morbidity. As outlined in the resolution, the pregnancy-related mortality ratio is significantly and persistently higher for women of color.  

The resolution is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Peter Welch (D-VT), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). 

The full text of the resolution can be found here. 

Senator Kim works to lower healthcare costs and breakdown disparities in healthcare access across our country as a member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), whose jurisdiction includes most of the agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services. Kim also sits on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and the Special Committee on Aging. Learn more about Senator Kim’s service on behalf of New Jersey here. 

###