Senator Reverend Warnock Highlights Efforts to Cap the Cost of Insulin and Address Black Maternal Mortality at Annual Black Media Roundtable

Senator Reverend Warnock co-hosted the Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee’s Black Media Roundtable

During the conversation with Black Capitol Hill reporters and journalists from the Black press, Senator Reverend Warnock discussed his leadership to strengthen health care affordability by lowering insulin costs, and his on-going efforts to address worsening maternal mortality impacting Black women in Georgia, nationwide

Senator Reverend Warnock “I have reintroduced my bill that would cap the cost of insulin for everybody. The high cost of insulin impacts a lot of people, but disproportionately impacts the African American community”

Senator Reverend Warnock “We must continue to work hard on this issue of maternal mortality. Tolerating this speaks volumes to the inequities in our system”

*Black reporters covering Capitol Hill and other members of the Black press attend the annual Black Media Roundtable, which was held on July 13*

*U.S. Senator Reverend (D-GA), who has co-hosted the annual event with Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) for the last three years, addresses the room of reporters*

Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock co-hosted the Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee’s Black Media Roundtable with Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ). The Black Media Roundtable is an annual event bringing together members of the Senate Democratic caucus with Black Capitol Hill and White House Reporters, as well as representatives of Black media outlets, to discuss important issues in the Black community, including Black maternal health, health care, gun safety, and voting rights.

Senator Reverend Warnock opened the roundtable by emphasizing the moral urgency for state officials in Georgia to expand Medicaid to more Georgians. Senator Warnock has championed efforts to increase access to affordable health care, and added incentives in the American Rescue Plan Act to push states to expand Medicaid. He has also worked to cap the cost of insulin for Medicare recipients and more recently, Senator Warnock worked with Republican U.S. Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) to introduce a bipartisan version of his Affordable Insulin Now Act that will cap the cost of insulin for everyone who needs it, whether they have insurance or not. While the high cost of insulin disproportionality impacts the Black community, many Americans nationwide cannot access insulin needed to manage their diabetes.

“I’m glad that we passed [the Medicare provision of] my insulin cost cap bill last Congress […] I have reintroduced my bill that would cap the cost of insulin for everybody. The high cost of insulin impacts a lot of people, but disproportionately impacts the African American community. Georgia has over one million diabetics. I’m hopeful there is a path for us moving this forward, ” said Senator Warnock during the roundtable discussion.

Later during the roundtable, Senator Warnock responded to a question about efforts to address poor maternal health outcomes for Black women, and discussed the reintroduction of his Kira Johnson Act with Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), which would provide funding to community-based organizations leading the charge to improve maternal health outcomes, particularly for Black women.

“We must continue to work hard on this issue of maternal mortality. Tolerating this speaks volumes to the inequities in our system. In Georgia, Black women are three to four times more likely to die within the first year after childbirth, ” said Senator Warnock.

In closing, Senator Warnock emphasized the need to keep the lines of communication between Black media and Congress open. “You all help shape the perspective which shapes policy,” he stated.