,,iii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #dei  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april    
#aa1 #bjah ,ms4 ,harris 7for herself1   
,ms4 ,stabenow1 ,mrs4 ,feinstein1 ,mrs4 
,murray1 ,mrs4 ,gillibrand1 ,ms4        
,hirono1 ,ms4 ,warren1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1   
,mr4 ,booker1 ,mr4 ,merkley1 ,mr4       
,wyden1 and ,mr4 ,blumenthal7 submitted 
the following resolution2 which was     
referred to the ,committee on ,health1  
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions       
,,resolution  ,recognizing ,black       
,maternal ,health ,week to bring        
national attention to the maternal      
health care crisis in the ,black        
community and the importance of reducing
 the rate of maternal mortality and     
morbidity among ,black women4  ,whereas 
according to the ,centers for ,disease  
,control and ,prevention1 ,black mothers
 in the ,united ,states die at #c to #d 
times the rate of ,white mothers2       
,whereas ,black women in the ,united    
,states suffer from life-threatening    

pregnancy complications twice as often  
as ,white women2 ,whereas ,united       
,states maternal mortality rates are the
 highest in the developed world and are 
increasing rapidly2 ,whereas the ,united
 ,states has the highest maternal       
mortality rate among affluent countries 
because of the disproportionate death   
rate of ,black mothers2 ,whereas the    
premature delivery rate among ,black    
women is #di percent higher than the    
rate among all other women2 ,whereas    
,black women are twice as likely to     
suffer from severe maternal morbidity   
than ,white women2 ,whereas high rates  
of maternal mortality among ,black women
 span across income and education       
levels1 as well as socioeconomic status2
 ,whereas racial disparities exist      
across income and education levels2     
,whereas structural racism1 gender      
oppression1 and social determinants of  
health inequities experienced by ,black 
women in the ,united ,states            
significantly contribute to the         

disproportionately high rates of        
maternal mortality and morbidity among  
,black women2 ,whereas race and racism  
play an integral role in maternal health
 outcomes1 care1 and policy2 ,whereas   
fair distribution of resources1         
especially with regard to reproductive  
health care services and maternal health
 programming1 is critical to closing the
 maternal health racial disparity gap2  
and ,whereas an investment must be made 
in ,black women's maternity care and in 
policies that support and promote       
affordable1 comprehensive1 and holistic 
maternal health care that is free from  
gender and racial discrimination3 ,now1 
therefore1 be it  ,that the ,senate     
recognizes-- 7#a7 that ,black women are 
experiencing high1 disproportionate     
rates of maternal mortality and         
morbidity in the ,united ,states2  7#b7 
that the alarmingly high rates of       
maternal mortality among ,black women is
 unacceptable2  7#c7 that ,congress must
 work toward ensuring that the ,black   

community has adequate housing1         
transportation equity1 nutritious food1 
clean water1 environments free from     
toxins1 fair treatment within the       
criminal justice system1 safety and     
freedom from violence1 a living wage1   
and equal economic opportunity2  7#d7   
that in order to improve maternal health
 outcomes1 ,congress must fully support 
and encourage policies grounded in the  
human rights framework that addresses   
,black maternal health inequity2  7#e7  
that ,black women must be active        
participants in the policy decisions    
that impact their lives2  7#f7 that     
,black ,maternal ,health ,week is an    
opportunity to increase attention of the
 state of ,black maternal health in the 
,united ,states1 amplify the voices of  
,black women and families1 serve as a   
national platform for ,black-women-led  
entities and efforts on maternal health1
 and enhance community organizing on    
,black maternal health2 and  7#g7 the   
significance of ,april #aa through #ag1 

#bjah1 as ,black ,maternal ,health      
,week4