,,iv  #aaf? ,,congress  #b;d ,session   
,h4 ,,res4 #ajif  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(    
,,repres5tatives  ,septemb] #a1 #bjbj   
,ms4 ,adams submitt$ ! foll[+           
resolution2 :i* 0 ref]r$ to ! ,committee
 on ,en]gy & ,comm]ce  ,,resolution     
,express+ support = ! designation ( !   
week ( ,augu/ #be ?r\gh ,augu/ #ca1     
#bjbj1 z ,black ,brea/fe$+ ,week to br+ 
national att5tion to ! ,unit$ ,/ates    
mat]nal *ild heal? crisis 9 ! ,black    
community & ! important role t brea/fe$+
 plays 9 improv+ mat]nal & infant heal? 
outcomes4  ,:]eas1 accord+ to ! ,c5t]s =
 ,disease ,control & ,prev5tion #bjag   
/ati/ics1 ,black mo!rs' brea/fe$+       
initiation rate 0 #gd p]c5t comp>$ to   
,:ite mo!rs' rate ( #hg p]c5t2 ,:]eas   
brea/fe$+ directly impacts ! heal? &    
wellness ( infants & ! mo!rs :o c>e =   
!m2 ,:]eas ,black mo!rs h report$ great]
 b>ri]s to brea/fe$+ comp>$ to _!       
c\nt]p>ts1 includ+ pa9 or discom=t :ile 
brea/fe$+1 conc]ns ab\t brea/fe$+ 9     
public1 insuffici5t availability (      

promotional & educational ef=ts1 & !    
int]f]5ce ( brea/fe$+ ) paid employm5t &
 o!r activities2 ,:]eas "s ,black mo!rs 
h also report$ lack ( a social support  
sy/em = cont9u$ brea/fe$+2 ,:]eas1 9    
,nor? ,c>ol9a1 only #ff p]c5t ( ,black  
mo!rs brea/f$ 9 #bjac1 #bjad1 & #bjae   
v]sus #hj p]c5t ( ,:ite mo!rs :o brea/f$
 dur+ ! same p]iod2 ,:]eas l[ brea/fe$+ 
initiation rates directly correlate to  
high infant mortality rates2 ,:]eas     
,black babies h two times high] infant  
mortality rates ?an ,:ite babies 9 ,nor?
 ,c>ol9a2 ,:]eas babies :o are          
exclusively brea/f$ = #f mon?s & cont9ue
 on ?r\gh ! fir/ ye> c\ld prev5t #b1bfh 
mat]nal dea?s & #fbf infant dea?s       
annually across ! ,unit$ ,/ates2 ,:]eas 
,black *ildr5 are at a great] risk =    
*ildhood disease1 & ! inability to      
exclusively brea/fe$ = ! recomm5d$ six  
mon?s has be5 attribut$ to twice z _m   
dea?s & ?ree times z _m *ildhood        
diseases 9 ,black infants z comp>$ to   
,:ite infants2 ,:]eas "o 9 f\r mo!rs 9 !

 ,unit$ ,/ates return to "w )9 t5 days (
 giv+ bir?2 ,:]eas #fj p]c5t ( work+    
mo!rs 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates :o are brea/fe$+
 express brea/ milk 9 inadequate &      
unsanit>y places on ! job2 ,:]eas       
,,covid-#ai has tragically expos$ !     
un=tunate impact ( racial inequities 9  
heal? = ,black communities2 ,:]eas ^!   
inequities h l$ to ,black communities   
be+ disproportionately impact$ by !     
virus1 includ+ =c$ sep>ations ( mo!rs & 
infants aft] bir? :5 brea/ milk is !    
safe/ & mo/ reliable =m ( infant fe$+   
dur+ an em]g5cy or p&emic2 ,:]eas       
und]/&+ su* hi/orical & contempor>y     
racial inequities is important to       
address sy/emic inju/ices prev5t+       
families f a*iev+ _! brea/fe$+ pot5tial2
 ,:]eas1 if mo!rs c\ld meet curr5t      
m$ical recomm5dations = brea/fe$+1 x    
w\ld save ! ,unit$ ,/ates economy ne>ly 
#ac billion p] ye> 9 p$iatric heal? co/s
 & premature dea?s2 ,:]eas ,black       
,brea/fe$+ ,week is an opportunity to   
raise aw>5ess ab\t ! mat]nal *ild heal? 

crisis 9 ,black communities & !         
important role t brea/fe$+ plays 9      
improv+ mat]nal & infant heal? outcomes2
 ,:]eas ?is week is d$icat$ to increas+ 
aw>5ess ( ! critical role ( brea/fe$+ & 
! "w ( ,black community-l$ gr\ps 9      
improv+ family heal? & r$uc+ infant     
mortality rates 9 ,black communities2 & 
,:]eas a week highlight+ a unique &     
t>get$ approa* to address ! *all5ges    
fac+ ,black mo!rs & families is critical
 to elim9at+ racial disp>ities 9        
brea/fe$+ & brea/ canc] survival3 ,n[1  
!re=e1 be x  ,t ! ,h\se ( ,repres5tative
 recognizes-- 7#a7 t sy/emic &          
in/itutional racism creates great]      
b>ri]s = ,black wom5 committ$ to meet+  
brea/fe$+ guidel9es set out by ,f$]al   
public heal? (ficials2  7#b7 t ^! b>ri]s
 contribute to increas+ heal? disp>ities
 leav+ ,black mo!rs & infants p>ticul>ly
 vuln]able2  7#c7 t disproportionate    
rates ( mat]nal mortality & morbidity 9 
! ,unit$ ,/ates & ! al>m+ly high rates (
 mat]nal mortality among ,black wom5 are

 unacceptable2  7#d7 t ,congress mu/    
fully support & enc\rage policies t     
ensure ,black p>5ts h access to af=dable
 heal? c>e1 all[ p>5ts to take paid     
leave aft] ! bir? ( a *ild1 & ensure t  
brea/fe$+ mo!rs h appropriate places to 
express brea/ milk2 &  7#e7 t1 9 ord] to
 bett] mitigate ! effects ( sy/emic &   
/ructural racism1 ,congress mu/ "w t[>d 
ensur+ t ,black communities h--  7,a7   
adequate h\s+2  7,b7 transportation     
equity2  7,c7 nutriti\s food2  7,d7     
clean wat]2  7,e7 environm5ts free f    
tox9s2  7,f7 fair treatm5t )9 ! crim9al 
ju/ice sy/em2  7,g7 safety & fre$om f   
viol5ce2  7,h7 a liv+ wage2  7,i7 equal 
economic opportunity2 &  7,j7           
compreh5sive1 quality1 & af=dable heal? 
c>e4