Every Mom Deserves The Highest Level of Maternal Health Care, But President Trump And Republicans In Congress Are Focused On Gutting Care To Hand Out Tax Breaks To Billionaires
April 11 through April 17 marks Black Maternal Health Week, a harrowing reminder that in the richest country in the world, mothers are not receiving the care they need. The United States has the highest rate of maternal deaths of any high-income country, and Black mothers face a maternal mortality rate more than twice the rates of other races and ethnicities. In recent years, public health officials and advocates have been sounding the alarm on the need to address the U.S.’s maternal health crisis. Instead of protecting new mothers and infants, Republicans seem determined to make matters worse by gutting Medicaid, which provides care to nearly two-thirds of Black moms, and slashing critical health programs that protect, support, and improve maternal health. As part of their extremist and regressive crusade to erase all equity efforts, Republicans are targeting public health programs that address the unique challenges faced by Black moms. Republicans must be held accountable for dismantling life-saving health programs and coverage for new moms in order to hand out tax breaks to the wealthy.
In response, Protect Our Care Policy and Health Equity Senior Advisor Joi Chaney issued the following statement:
“Republicans claim to be the party of family values, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. As Black moms across the nation face a maternal mortality crisis that is heartbreaking and largely preventable, Republicans are actively dismantling programs that save the lives of mothers and babies. One thing is clear: the Republicans are more focused on rewarding the rich, even if it means trampling on the health of women and families.”
Republicans Are Gutting Medicaid To Pay For More Tax Breaks For Corporations And The Ultrawealthy, Threatening Care For Nearly Two-Thirds Of Black Mothers. Thanks to Medicaid, hundreds of thousands of pregnant women across the country receive prenatal visits, ultrasounds, and screenings for conditions such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and postpartum depression. Republicans are pushing for hundreds of billions in indiscriminate cuts to the program to fund tax breaks for the wealthy, which would rip care away from millions of women and worsen Black maternal health outcomes. This could lead to more long-term health problems and lives lost for the 64 percent of Black mothers who use the program. Those aren’t family values worthy of the American people.
Republicans Are Endangering Access To Critical Postpartum Care. Medicaid is crucial for Black moms navigating postpartum recovery. Thanks to Democrats in Congress, states were given the option to extend coverage to new mothers for one year postpartum – 49 states, both red and blue, took advantage of it. With one in three pregnancy-related deaths occurring between six weeks and one year after birth, this extension is a vital policy in fighting the growing maternal mortality rate in the United States — but coverage could be at risk with GOP cuts.
Republicans Are Terminating Access To Lifesaving Procedures and Medications. Since a Trump-appointed conservative majority overtook the Supreme Court and reversed Roe v. Wade, nearly 60 percent of Black women now live in states that either currently have abortion restrictions or have plans to enact them. In 2024, Amber Thurman and Candi Miller became two of many women who tragically and unnecessarily lost their lives to abortion bans. Republican efforts to restrict access to abortion medications and procedures endanger the lives of Black women.
Republicans Are Shutting Down Research And Services That Improve Care For Black Moms. Republicans are taking a chainsaw to the federal health programs that keep moms safe and save lives. They have illegally fired thousands of staff, including those who keep the postpartum depression hotline running, those who research and collect crucial data on maternal mortality, and those who respond to safety concerns about infant formula. They have also shut down the offices of minority health at both HHS and CMS.
The GOP Is Blocking Legislation That Will Save Countless Lives. Research shows that over 80 percent of maternal deaths are preventable. Yet, session after session, Republicans have refused to support the Momnibus Act — legislation that would provide millions in funding to address the root causes of America’s maternal mortality crisis and address social determinants of health contributing to maternal mortality, while providing funding to grow and diversify the perinatal workforce, giving health care workers the tools and training necessary to confront discriminatory and biased practices. Instead, Republicans believe extending tax cuts for the rich is more important.