In the News
The Black maternity mortality crisis comes to the Hill
The Black maternity mortality crisis comes to the Hill
Source: Politico
We know that Black women are up to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 80 percent of these deaths are preventable.
That’s why more than 50 Black-led organizations have collaborated on a comprehensive policy road map aimed at addressing the Black maternal mortality crisis, even in the face of increasing restrictions on reproductive health care.
Spearheaded by In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, a national-state partnership dedicated to advancing sexual and reproductive equity for Black women, the nonpartisan 2025 Black Reproductive Justice Policy Agenda outlines legislative recommendations to help eliminate racial disparities in maternal health outcomes.
The organizations warn that limiting reproductive health services could exacerbate the Black maternal mortality crisis, leading to rising deaths among both mothers and infants. The agenda calls for Congress to pass the Abortion Justice Act, which would decriminalize those seeking or providing abortion services. It also calls for increasing funding for doulas and midwifery care in federal health care programs as well as providing free prescription contraceptives.
While some of the proposed policies face significant hurdles in the Republican-controlled Congress, In Our Own Voice has the support of the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls.
Women Rule sat down with Regina Moss, president and CEO of In Our Own Voice, and Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls, to discuss the agenda and how Congress is viewing the maternal mortality crisis.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
While many associate the topic of reproductive justice with abortion rights, the Black Reproductive Justice Policy Agenda delves into much more than terminating a pregnancy. What is reproductive justice?
MOSS: In 1994 when the Clinton Health Administration was putting forth their health care reform, inevitably, the conversation centered on abortion. And there were 12 Black women at a conference in Chicago and they said, “No, this is not right. We are not taking into consideration all the other things that have an impact on the decision whether or not to continue a pregnancy.” So they coined the term “reproductive justice,” which is a splice of reproductive health and rights with social justice.
It says: Just as much as we should have a right to not have a child, we should have a right to have a child. Black women were, at that time, being sterilized against their consent. We didn’t have the full range of contraceptive options open to us. Following on that is the right to raise a child in a safe and sustainable environment.
Those were the core tenets, and then later on, they realized that just as much as we have those rights, we should have the right to sexual expression. We are often subject to these negative narratives about Black women and girls and gender-expansive people being hypersexual, unfit mothers, all of these tropes and stereotypes.
Reproductive justice is expansive on purpose because it leans into the fact that the intersectionality we sit in — of racism, classism, sexism, homophobia — both exacerbate as well as continue to create more systemic barriers for us.
We know that Black women are up to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related issues than their white counterparts. Congresswoman, how have you tried to draw attention to the crisis during your time in Congress, and have you received any pushback?
KELLY: I didn’t even realize it was a problem that still remains in this country until a constituent told me a story. But I can tell you, my colleagues on the other side fought me tooth and nail until we had a state legislator, a champion from Georgia come in [to speak to Congress]. She fought for the legislation extending the postpartum Medicaid coverage period, and she helped get it done in Georgia. And that’s when [Republican Rep.] Buddy Carter said, “I can’t believe my state is one of the worst.”
I wanted to scream so loud “I’ve been trying to tell you that,” but they just refuse to acknowledge it, you know? As the person that actually brought maternal mortality and morbidity legislation to Congress, I think it’s been, like, 10 years now, I’m fighting an uphill battle.
When Black women are helped, that means all women are helped. I will tell you that not only the Congressional Black Caucus, the other caucuses too, are trying to keep various entities accountable. I’m the co-chair of the bipartisan Maternal Health Caucus. I think our problem that we face is that a lot of Republicans who know the right thing but — and I hate to use this word but I can’t think of another word — they’re afraid to do the right thing. But it doesn’t mean we’re not going to push for change, you know? Because we need to be ready when the change does come. And it’s coming. We just need to build the relationships.
The agenda calls for Medicaid funding for doulas and midwives, which are crucial to the success of Black pregnancy, as well as clinics like Planned Parenthood. But the recent reconciliation bill signed by President Donald Trump calls for reducing Medicaid funding. Can funding for doulas and midwives and Planned Parenthood still be achieved with these cuts and how will the cuts impact the maternal mortality crisis overall?
KELLY: In the 2nd congressional district that I represent, 300,000 people are connected with Medicaid. It’s drastic, it’s horrible, it’s cruel, it’s mean, it’s outrageous. Yes, it’s babies and mamas, but it’s a whole bunch of other people too. They forget rural areas. In Illinois alone, nine rural hospitals will close. And to throw in what just happened with Planned Parenthood? That was where I got my first care.
We’re devastated. We had [Health] Secretary [Robert F.] Kennedy Jr. before the [House Committee on Energy and Commerce] and I talked about Medicaid and maternal mortality and issues around women. Everything we raised though, didn’t matter. It’s so frustrating and it’s scary. Women will die. Things will get worse. They’re not going to get better … But he is like a brick wall. But we’re fighting. We’re demanding things of him. We went over to his office. He didn’t see us, but we’re not going to let this rest.
[Editor’s note: After this newsletter published, HHS spokesperson Vianca N. Rodriguez Feliciano provided a statement saying, “Secretary Kennedy remains committed to improving maternal health outcomes for all Americans. That means focusing on evidence-based care, strengthening access to life-saving services, and prioritizing programs that actually deliver results.”]
It’s not a secret that we’re in the minority right now. We don’t have all the numbers, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t still stand up, stand out, speak out about all of these issues. Reproductive rights are under attack in the courts, state legislatures and in Congress. So it’s very important we have an agenda.
MOSS: Fifty-two percent of Black girls rely on Medicaid. Half of all women of reproductive age with Medicaid are women of color. Two-thirds of Black births are born to mothers on Medicaid. Black nursing home residents are more likely to be female and reliant on Medicaid. So when we say that this will devastate the lives of millions of Black women, girls and gender-expansive people, it is not an understatement.
By Cheyanne M. Daniels