Washington, DC – 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 Reps. Young Kim (CA-40) and Robin Kelly (IL-02), Co-Chairs of the bipartisan Maternity Care Caucus, issued the following statement:
“The data released by the National Center for Health Statistics is a stark reminder of what thousands of American families already know: too many moms are dying.
“Maternal mortality rates were already much higher in the United States compared to our peers, and now we have proof that conditions have grown worse for American women. This is unacceptable.
“We came together to lead the bipartisan Maternity Care Caucus because the health of our moms should be above politics. Congress must act now to stop this crisis from getting worse and ensure that all moms can give birth safely.
“The Maternity Care Caucus will fight for an improved and expanded maternal care workforce, more inclusion of pregnant and breastfeeding women in voluntary clinical trials, and greater scrutiny of the disparate impact of maternal mortality/morbidity on underrepresented populations.
“Congress must take this crisis seriously. Our moms and babies deserve nothing less than the best possible care. The time for lip service is over. We need action.”
