,,iii #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #fdf ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #ag1 #bjbf,mr4 ,booker submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,,resolution ,recognizing ,march #ad1 #bjbf1 as ,black ,midwives ,day and the longstanding and invaluable contributions of ,black midwives to maternal and infant health in the ,united ,states4 ,whereas recognizing ,march #ad1 #bjbf1 as ,black ,midwives ,day underscores the importance of midwifery in helping to achieve better maternal health outcomes by addressing fundamental gaps in access to high-quality care and multiple aspects of well-being2 ,whereas the ,black ,midwives ,day campaign1 founded and led by the ,national ,black ,midwives ,alliance in #bjbc1 is a day of awareness1 activism1 education1 and community building2 ,whereas ,march #ad1 #bjbf1 is intended to increase attention for the state of ,black maternal health in the ,united ,states1 the root causes of poor maternal health outcomes1 and for community-driven policy1 program1 and care solutions2 ,whereas the ,united ,states is experiencing a maternity care desert crisis in which more than #b1cjj1jjj women of childbearing age live in maternity care deserts where they have no hospital offering obstetric care1 no birth center1 and no obstetric clinic2 ,whereas maternity care deserts lead to higher risks of maternal morbidity and mortality as most complications occur in the postpartum period when patients are far away from their providers2 ,whereas midwife-led care has been shown to result in cost savings1 reduced medical interventions1 lower cesarean rates1 decreased preterm births1 and improved health outcomes for both mothers and infants2 ,whereas midwives provide essential maternal healthcare services across diverse settings1 including homes1 communities1 hospitals1 birth centers1 clinics1 and health units1 ensuring accessibility and continuity of care2 ,whereas increasing the number of ,black midwives in the workforce is critical to addressing maternal health disparities1 as ,black midwives offer culturally competent care that builds trust1 enhances maternal satisfaction1 and improves health outcomes for ,black mothers and their infants2 ,whereas incorporating midwives fully into the ,united ,states maternity care system would reduce maternal health disparities and address the maternity care desert crisis2 ,whereas1 despite the medicalization of childbirth in the ,united ,states1 the maternal mortality rates in the ,united ,states are among the highest in the developed world and disproportionately higher among1 ,black women2 ,whereas ,black women in the ,united ,states are at a significantly higher risk of suffering from life threatening pregnancy complications1 known as maternal morbidities1 than ,white women2 ,whereas deaths from maternal morbidities have devastating effects on ,black children and families1 and the vast majority of material morbidities are entirely preventable through assertive efforts to ensure that ,black women have access to information1 services1 and supports to make their own health care decisions1 particularly around pregnancy and childbearing2 ,whereas1 according to the #bjbd ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention ,report1 the maternal mortality rate for ,black women in the ,united ,states was #dd4h deaths per #ajj1jjj live births1 compared to the rates observed for-- 7#a7 ,white women1 with a rate of #ad4b deaths per #ajj1jjj live births2 7#b7 ,hispanic women1 with a rate of #ab4a deaths per #ajj1jjj live births2 and 7#c7 ,asian women1 with a rate of #ah4a deaths per #ajj1jjj live births2 ,whereas the high rates of maternal mortality among ,black women span across income levels1 education levels1 and socioeconomic statuses2 ,whereas structural racism1 gender oppression1 and the 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 ,black women are more likely to report experiences of disrespect1 abuse1 and neglect when birthing in facility-based settings as compared to ,white people2 ,whereas ,black families benefit from access to ,black midwives to receive culturally sensitive and congruent care established through trust and respect1 backed with the wisdom of time-honored techniques and best practices2 ,whereas the work and contributions of past and present midwives who have ushered in new life have done so despite a history fraught with persecution1 enslavement1 violence1 racism1 and the systematic erasure of traditional and lay ,black midwives throughout the #bjth century2 ,whereas the decimation of midwifery across the southern ,united ,states reduced the numbers of ,black midwives from thousands to dozens in a #ej-year period from the #aibjs to the #aigjs1 leaving many communities without care providers2 ,whereas some ,states have criminalized and suppressed direct-entry midwives1 despite rising maternal mortality rates across the ,united ,states2 ,whereas the criminalization and overregulation of midwifery disproportionately impacts ,black midwives and birthing families1 exacerbating maternal health disparities and reducing access to culturally competent care2 ,whereas the resurgence of ,black midwifery is a testament to the resilience1 resistance1 and determination of spirit in the preservation of healing modalities that are practiced all over the world2 ,whereas the focus on holistic care1 which involves caring for the whole person1 family1 and community1 is what makes a difference in midwifery2 ,whereas midwifery honors the right to bodily autonomy of the birthing person and can be facilitated at home1 in a birth center1 or hospital1 and works in tandem with doulas1 community health workers1 obstetricians1 pediatricians1 and other maternal1 reproductive1 and perinatal health care providers2 ,whereas the ,midwifery ,model of ,care has been proven to have better pregnancy outcomes through preventing infant mortality and morbidity1 lowering preterm births1 reducing medical interventions1 and providing the birthing person continuous support2 ,whereas1 in #bjbb1 the ,committee on the ,elimination of ,racial ,discrimination 7referred to in this preamble as ,,cerd7 of the ,united ,nations expressed concerns regarding the impact of systemic racism and intersecting factors on access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services for women1 and the limited availability of culturally sensitive and respectful maternal health care1 particularly for those with low incomes1 rural residents1 individuals of ,african descent1 and indigenous communities2 ,whereas ,,cerd recommended that the ,united ,states further develop policies and programs to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights1 while integrating an intersectional and culturally respectful approach in order to reduce the high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity affecting racial and ethnic minorities1 including through midwifery care2 ,whereas1 in #bjbc1 the ,human ,rights ,committee of the ,united ,nations expressed similar concerns as ,,cerd and further recommended that the ,united ,states take measures to remove restrictive and discriminatory legal and practice barriers to midwifery care1 including those affecting ,black and indigenous peoples2 ,whereas a fair distribution of resources1 especially with regard to reproductive health care services1 is critical to closing the racial disparity gap in maternal health outcomes2 ,whereas an investment must be made in robust1 quality1 and comprehensive health care for ,black women1 with policies that support and promote affordable and holistic maternal health care that is free from gender and racial discrimination2 ,whereas it is fitting and proper on ,black ,midwives ,day to recognize the tremendous impact of the human rights1 reproductive justice1 and birth justice frameworks have on protecting and advancing the rights of ,black women2 ,whereas ,black ,midwives ,day is an opportunity to acknowledge the fight to end maternal mortality locally and globally2 ,whereas maternal health is intractably linked to infant health1 and the ,united ,states infant mortality rate rose #c percent from a rate of #e4dd infant deaths per #a1jjj live births in #bjba to #e4fj infant deaths per #a1jjj live births in #bjbb1 the largest increase in the infant mortality rate in #b decades2 and ,whereas ,congress must mitigate the effects of systemic and structural racism to ensure that all ,black people have access to midwives1 doulas1 and other community-based1 culturally matched perinatal health providers3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 recognizes ,march #ad1 #bjbf1 as ,black ,midwives ,day2 7#b7 encourages the ,federal ,government and ,state and local governments to take proactive measures to address racial disparities in maternal health outcomes by supporting initiatives aimed at diversifying the perinatal workforce1 increasing access to culturally congruent maternal health care2 7#c7 commits to collaborating with relevant stakeholders to develop and enact policy solutions that promote health equity1 address systemic racism1 and support the advancement of ,black midwifery2 7#d7 calls for-- 7,a7 increased funding for education1 training1 and access to ,black preceptors2 7,b7 removing barriers and restrictions to ,black preceptors2 7,c7 providing financial pathways to support students and preceptors2 7,d7 mentorship programs that focus on promoting and sustaining ,black midwifery2 and 7,e7 removing barriers related to accreditation by recognizing midwives across all training pathways2 7#e7 encourages the ,federal ,government and ,state governments to authorize the autonomous practice of all midwives to the full extent of their training2 7#f7 promotes the authorization or reauthorization of funding for ,,tricare and ,medicaid coverage of maternity care provided by midwives of all training pathways2 7#g7 encourages the ,federal ,government and ,state and local governments to take active steps to destigmatize and decriminalize midwifery pathways in the setting of choice of the pregnant person1 including their homes1 birth centers1 clinics1 or health units2 and 7#h7 supports and recognizes the longstanding and invaluable contributions of ,black midwives to maternal and infant health in the ,united ,states4