Underwood Calls for Immediate Passage of the Momnibus Act in Response to New Report Showing the COVID-19 Pandemic Worsened Nation’s Maternal Health Crisis

WASHINGTON – This week, Representative Lauren Underwood (IL-14) called for urgent investments in maternal health in response to a new report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). GAO’s report concludes that the COVID-19 pandemic worsened maternal health outcomes and contributed to an increase in maternal deaths, specifically among Black and Hispanic communities.

“The findings in this report paint a picture of crisis. They are deeply troubling, and they underscore the need to take immediate and serious action to save moms’ lives. Chairwoman Maloney and I led the effort to commission this report to understand how the pandemic affected maternal health outcomes, especially among women of color, who are already experiencing elevated maternal death rates. It’s clear from the report’s findings that we cannot wait,” said Underwood. “We need to make significant investments in maternal health and pass the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act before the end of the year. This legislation, which I introduced with Congresswoman Adams and Senator Booker, is the solution to this crisis. Every day that goes by without its passage is a disservice to millions of mothers and families.”

Underwood and Representative Carolyn Maloney (NY-12), Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, led their colleagues in a letter to GAO requesting the report. The report is based on a provision in Underwood’s Maternal Health Pandemic Response Act, which includes robust investments in key federal programs to improve maternal health outcomes in addition to calling for this GAO review. The legislation is one of the 12 bills in the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act.

Key findings include:

· Maternal deaths increased during 2020 and 2021, and the rate of maternal deaths was significantly higher among Black people than other communities during this time. In addition, the maternal mortality rate among Hispanic people rose sharply during this same period. 

· GAO estimates that COVID-19 was a contributing factor to one quarter of maternal deaths that occurred during 2020 and 2021. 

· Maternal morbidity outcomes — including preterm and low birthweight births — persisted during the pandemic, with racial disparities worsening their impact on Black and Hispanic communities. 

· The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and stakeholders determined that the pandemic exacerbated the effects of social determinants of health, such as access to care, employment, transportation, and living environment.

Underwood is a co-founder and co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus. Underwood wrote the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, introduced in 2020 and re-introduced in 2021, which builds on existing maternal health legislation with 12 bills to comprehensively address the drivers of the maternal health crisis. The Momnibus makes critical investments in addressing social determinants of health, funding community-based organizations, growing and diversifying the perinatal workforce, and improving data collection processes.

Underwood’s Momnibus Act is making progress: her bipartisan Protecting Moms Who Served Act was signed into law by President Biden in 2021 and other provisions have passed in the House of Representatives.

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