Progress for Women
Washington, D.C. – On Friday, Members of the Illinois delegation wrote to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services endorsing the state's waiver request to expand care access to new moms for the entire postpartum period.
In endorsing the waiver request, they wrote: "Illinois' waiver request demonstrates innovative solutions to the maternal mortality crisis and embodies the intent of Congress in creating the Medicaid program to provide medical assistance to our nation's most vulnerable populations."
Today, Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-IL02), Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced the Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness (MOMMA's) Act in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.
The legislation seeks to reduce America's rising maternal mortality rate. On average, maternal mortality claims the lives of 700 American moms each year.
Black women are up to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than their white counterparts. This horrifying statistic has, at this point, become a household fact, following the past few election cycles – including more recently the presidential elections where many candidates have pushed forward their own policy plans to solve the issue.
In 2017, my friend Toni Brown was expecting her family’s first grandchild. What should have been one of the happiest days of their lives quickly turned into one of the worst, as Toni and her family were informed that delivery complications had left her daughter in a coma. Toni’s daughter tragically died a few days later, and her doctors were not able to give her family a clear answer about what caused the young mother’s complications and untimely death.
WASHINGTON, DC – In a letter to President Joe Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Representatives Robin Kelly, (IL-02), Alma Adams (NC-12), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Congressional Black Caucus Chair Joyce Beatty (OH-03) pushed to ensure that extended postpartum Medicaid coverage, based on Rep.
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Robin Kelly and Congressman Steve Chabot (R-OH), members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, introduced H.R. 2408, the Protecting Girls Access to Education Act, which ensures that children, specifically young girls, are able to receive an education when displaced by conflicts overseas.
U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Carole Johnson this weekend for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ M.O.M.S (Maternal Outcomes Matter Showers) Tour, highlighting their work on this important issue and the need to do more to address our country’s ongoing maternal mortality crisis.
A south suburban congresswoman wants to stop American mothers from dying during pregnancy and childbirth.
"We've already lost too many mothers to this crisis," said U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-2nd District) "It's incumbent upon us to honor their lives with action — action that will prevent another mother from needlessly dying or another family from being torn apart."
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly (IL-02) and Young Kim (CA-40), co-chairs of the Maternity Care Caucus, celebrate National Breastfeeding Week from Aug. 1-7. National Breastfeeding Week is an opportunity to raise awareness and support for lactation practices and policies.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This morning, the National Center for Health Statistics released a report showing that 1,205 people died of maternal causes in the U.S. in 2021, a 40% increase from the previous year and a nearly 60% increase since 2019. In response to this report Rep. |