Senators Reverend Warnock, Booker Reintroduce the Bicameral Momnibus Act to End America’s Maternal Health Crisis

The comprehensive legislative package includes the Kira Johnson Act, legislation Senator Reverend Warnock introduced to address the maternal mortality crisis by providing direct funding to local organizations already doing the work to protect mothers of color during childbirth

Senator Reverend Warnock has been a steadfast champion of combatting maternal mortality, including partnering with Senator Rubio to pass into law the Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act which authorized new grant programs to reduce maternal mortality and improve implicit bias training for providers

Georgia has one of the worst rates of maternal mortality in the country. According to the CDC, Black women are more likely to die due to pregnancy-related complications compared to white women nationally

Senator Reverend Warnock: “Sadly, the state of maternal care in Georgia reflects the troubling discrepancies in maternal care that Black women experience nationwide. This systemic issue requires a comprehensive legislative response, which is why I’m proud to join my colleagues to introduce this historic legislation”

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) joined Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Representatives Alma Adams (D-NC-12), and Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) in reintroducing the bicameral Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, historic legislation to save mothers’ lives and address every driver of maternal mortality, morbidity, and disparities in the United States. The legislation includes the Kira Johnson Act, legislation Senator Reverend Warnock introduced to address the maternal mortality crisis by providing direct funding to local organizations already doing the work to protect mothers of color during childbirth.

“The rate of maternal mortality for all women, but especially Black women, is shocking and unacceptable,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “Sadly, the state of maternal care in Georgia reflects the troubling discrepancies in maternal care that Black women experience nationwide. This systemic issue requires a comprehensive legislative response, which is why I’m proud to join my colleagues to introduce this historic legislation. This bill will save lives and I will continue to push to get it over the finish line.”

Senator Reverend Warnock has been a steadfast champion of combatting maternal mortality, including partnering with Senator Rubio to pass into law the Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act which authorized new grant programs to reduce maternal mortality and improve implicit bias training for providers. Additionally, the Senator continues to be a strong advocate for closing the Medicaid coverage gap in Georgia, so that more than 640,000 Georgians can access affordable health care. Expanding Medicaid would improve the maternal mortality rate, especially for Black women according to the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Center for Children and Families.

The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act makes critical investments to address social determinants of health, provide funding for community-based organizations, grow and diversify the perinatal health workforce, expand access to maternal mental health care, address the effects of climate change on maternal and infant health, and improve data collection processes. A one-page summary of the Momnibus, including a list of the 181 original House cosponsors, can be found here, and additional information about the individual bills in the Momnibus can be found on the Black Maternal Health Caucus website. A list of more than 200 organizations endorsing the Momnibus can be found here and quotes in support of the Momnibus can be found here.

The Momnibus is made up of thirteen bills sponsored by Black Maternal Health Caucus Members. The legislation will:

Make critical investments in social determinants of health that influence maternal health outcomes, like housing, transportation, and nutrition.
Extend WIC eligibility in the postpartum and breastfeeding periods.
Provide funding to community-based organizations that are working to improve maternal health outcomes and promote equity.
Increase funding for programs to improve maternal health care for veterans.
Grow and diversify the perinatal workforce to ensure that every mom in America receives maternal health care and support from people they trust.
Improve data collection processes and quality measures to better understand the causes of the maternal health crisis in the United States and inform solutions to address it.
Support moms with maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
Improve maternal health care and support for incarcerated moms.
Invest in digital tools to improve maternal health outcomes in underserved areas.
Promote innovative payment models to incentivize high-quality maternity care and non-clinical support during and after pregnancy.
Invest in federal programs to address maternal and infant health risks during public health emergencies.
Invest in community-based initiatives to reduce levels of and exposure to climate change-related risks for moms and babies.
Promote maternal vaccinations to protect the health of moms and babies.

The bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Bob Casey (D-PA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Peter Welch (D-VT), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV).

The full text of the bill can be found here.

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