Rep. Kelly Gathers Health Leaders During Black Maternal Health Week to Close Health Disparities

“I brought the issue of maternal mortality to Congress nearly a decade ago because nobody was doing anything to save the lives of Black women,” said Rep. Kelly, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust and Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Maternity Care Caucus. “We’ve made some progress, but so much more work needs to be done to confront the systematic racism in our healthcare system. I will continue to echo the voices of Black women in Congress until we receive the care we need and deserve before, during, and after pregnancy.”

U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) introduced the first-ever comprehensive legislative package addressing maternal health after Charles Johnson’s wife, Kira, died after a routine C-section. Pieces of her MOMMA’s Act, now called CARE for Moms Act, has passed into law, including the extension of Medicaid postpartum care from 60 days to a full year. Illinois was the first of 48 states to adopt this policy, ensuring health coverage for postpartum women. Her most recent maternal health bill, the WELLS Act, was introduced after her constituent Mercedes Wells was discharged from a hospital while in active labor.

“Ten years ago, I lost my wife, Kira, to a preventable childbirth complication—and that pain became a purpose to fight for every mother’s right to survive and thrive,” said Johnson, founder of 4Kira4Moms. “During Black Maternal Health Week, I’m honored to stand with Robin Kelly to advance the WELLS Act—because no woman should ever be dismissed, unheard, or sent home while in crisis. This legislation is about accountability, dignity, and ensuring that no family has to endure the loss that mine did.”

“I thank Rep. Robin Kelly for convening us during Black Maternal Health Week and standing with those fighting to protect Black mothers and families. The state of Black maternal health in America is a moral and equitable crisis, with Black women still three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes, too many of them preventable. We must honor the memory of Kira Johnson and others whose stories demand action,” said Rep. Clarke, Chair of the CBC. “While progress like extended postpartum coverage matters, we must do more to expand equitable care and confront dangerous attacks on healthcare that threaten to take us backward. The Congressional Black Caucus remains committed to advancing policies that protect access, center equity, and ensure Black mothers can thrive.”

“As Chair of the Congressional Mamas’ Caucus, I know the Black maternal health crisis impacts so many mothers and families in Detroit and Southeast Michigan. Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes due to racial bias in medicine and a health care system that has failed them for far too long,” said Rep. Tlaib. “We must act with urgency at the federal level by investing in community-based care, protecting and expanding Medicaid, supporting doulas and midwives, and passing legislation like the CARE for Moms Act. Black mothers deserve to live, to be heard, and to receive equitable, comprehensive care.”

“Eleven years ago this month, I almost became the statistic of a Black woman who was three times more likely to die from a childbirth-related death when nine weeks before my due date, my placenta ruptured. My daughter and I were one of the lucky ones. But too many mothers and infants are not so lucky,” said Rep. McClellan, Chair of Abortion Rights and Access Task Force in the Reproductive Freedom Caucus. “We face a complex road ahead as we seek to protect Black women and families against this loss. On the 10th annual Black Maternal Health Week, we want this to be the last one where we say a Black woman is more than three times as likely to die in childbirth. And we will not rest until we reach that moment.”

In addition to Johnson with 4Kira4Moms, five more leading health advocates stood with Rep. Kelly to demand better health outcomes for Black mothers.

“The Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) is proud to partner with the many Congressional champions and key partners today in honor of Black Maternal Health Week,” said Nikeisha Olgetree, Chief Operating Officer of AMCHP.  “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 700 pregnancy-related deaths occur in the U.S. each year, and 87% of these deaths are preventable. As leaders in maternal and child health, we know that there is not a singular policy solution that will solve the crisis of maternal mortality and morbidity overnight, but with collective action to ensure maternal and child health programs get sustained, increased investments, we’ll better be able to best serve the nation’s mothers, children, and families now and into the future.”

“Black maternal health is not only about whether a mother survives childbirth,” said Kay Matthews, Executive Director of Shades of Blue Project. “It is also about whether she is heard, believed, and supported through grief, trauma, and the full postpartum journey. Mental health care must be treated as essential maternal health care.”

“I am honored to be here today during the 10th anniversary of Black Maternal Health Week to call attention to the fact that despite having made gains in combatting maternal mortality overall, racial disparities in maternal health outcomes persist,” said Dr. Anita Mikkilineni, an obstetrician-gynecologist with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. “This is unacceptable and we must double down and keep working for progress. I look forward to continuing ACOG’s partnership with Congresswoman Kelly and other maternal health champions to advance legislation to improve Black maternal health.”

“Black maternal health is not a talking point. It is a public health crisis,” said Joy Calloway, President and CEO of the Black Women’s Health Imperative. “At the Black Women’s Health Imperative, we seek to curate and advance solutions that will work for Black women and girls. We are proud to stand with Congresswoman Kelly- once again – in pursuing policy changes like the CARE for Moms Act and the WELLS Act that will move us closer to the maternal health outcomes Black women have always deserved.”