Senator Murray Visits Rainier Valley Midwives, Discusses Urgency of Tackling Maternal Mortality Crisis
"Our nation is facing a crisis when it comes to maternal care and maternal mortality rates, especially in communities of color. But it's clinics like this--and providers like all of you--who are on the frontlines working to address this crisis. We need to make sure everyone has access to high-quality care--with comfort, dignity, and cultural understanding--like the care Rainier Valley Midwives provides.
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Our nation faced a maternal mortality crisis before the pandemic, but the past few years have absolutely pushed it to the breaking point. The pandemic disrupted progress we had been making, and I know your organization and the families you serve were devastated by the pandemic. A new--shocking--report from the CDC found the maternal mortality rate has risen 40% since 2020. That is just heartbreaking. It is unacceptable that our country has the worst maternal death rate among our peers, and it is an outrage that for years now it has been on the rise and is continuing to disproportionately affect Black and Native women. We know they have a death rate three times higher than their white counterparts. And the especially frustrating part is, we know that most pregnancy-related deaths are preventable, but too many pregnant women can't get the care they need.
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I've been pushing every day in the other Washington to make sure we are throwing everything we've got at this crisis. That's why I've fought for Congressionally Directed Spending for the Rainier Valley Midwives so you can renovate and open a new birthing center this fall so you can serve more moms in need. Last Congress, I supported passage of an extension of Medicaid coverage to a full year postpartum, up from just 60 days previously, because I know how crucial continued access to care is for a mother's health during that vulnerable first year.
I'm going to keep working across the aisle and pushing to make sure all of you get the support you need to get our families and communities the maternal health care they deserve."
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