OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Black Mothers Suffer in Silence

Floor Speech

Date: May 17, 2019
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Women Reproduction

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Mrs. McBATH. Madam Speaker, Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications, and this disparity persists across socioeconomic and educational levels.

I recently heard the story of a constituent in my district. Her name is Phiffer. After a failed emergency surgery, she was confined to bedrest 20 weeks into her pregnancy, but her doctor failed to address her mental health.

At 30 weeks, she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. But for a year after, she struggled with mental health.

She said: ``I know my story is unremarkable.''

Unremarkable. Unremarkable because mothers are suffering in silence. Black mothers are suffering in silence daily.

I am proud to be a founding member of the Black Maternal Health Caucus because we need to address this crisis. I look forward to working with my colleagues to make sure that women like Phiffer receive the proper care that they need and deserve.

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