Billy Long: I will work for passage of Preventing Maternal Deaths Act

(From Seventh District Congressman Billy Long)

The Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee recently held a hearing on reducing the maternal mortality rate in the U.S.

We heard from a number of advocates on the issue as well as personal stories of those who have been directly affected by this growing problem. 

One story in particular made a lasting impression on me. It was from Charles Johnson IV, a father of two, who lost his wife, Kira, after the birth of their second son. What was supposed to be a routine pre-scheduled C-section turned into more than 10 hours of waiting to see if his wife was going to make it. Charles knew immediately something was wrong and started begging for someone to help his wife. He was told that everything was going to be fine and his wife just wasn’t a priority, but at 2:22 a.m. on April 17, 2016, Charles lost his wife, and his two sons lost their mother.

I would like to say stories like this are rare, but sadly that’s not the case. Between 2000 and 2014, the maternal mortality rate increased by 27 percent. Compared to other developed countries, the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate, sadly making us one of eight countries where the maternal mortality rate continues to increase. Unfortunately, due to limited data, we can’t fully understand why the maternal mortality rate continues to increase.

During the hearing, we discussed ways to address this problem, including through legislation such as H.R. 1318, the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act. This bill would enhance the partnership between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and states to help set up and expand state maternal mortality review committees (MMRCs), which are made up of local experts in the field who look for ways to prevent future deaths. This bill would also increase collaboration and information sharing among committees and the CDC to get a more accurate picture of the problem nationwide. Currently, 33 states have these types of committees.

Charles’ heart-wrenching testimony of trying to save his wife in the few hours she lived, after her previously scheduled C-section, made a big impact on our Committee. Charles is black as was his wife. While this health care crisis affects everyone, minority maternal mortality rates occur at a much higher rate than in the general population. This is one more layer to the puzzle that we in Congress need to work to solve. My colleagues and I will continue to work to ensure this bill is passed so we can get better data to get better outcomes for maternal health.