U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-WI-04) introduced the Perinatal Workforce Act, legislation to address the urgent maternal health care crisis in the United States. Specifically, the bill will help grow the perinatal workforce by creating grant programs to increase the number of maternity care providers and workers who provide care during and after pregnancy.

“No mother should have to worry about whether she can find quality care during one of the most important moments of her life. Sadly, the reality is that too many women — especially women of color — face dangerous gaps in maternity care that put their and their babies’ lives at risk,” said Senator Baldwin. “That’s why I am proud to work with my colleagues to help address disparities and ensure that every mother has access to the care and support that she not only needs, but deserves.”

“More than 80 percent of maternal deaths are preventable, so we must make critical interventions to save lives. Our Perinatal Workforce Act helps build the maternal workforce that we need to keep mothers and their babies healthy while meeting their cultural needs and addressing the shortage of perinatal workers. Congress must pass the Perinatal Workforce Act as well as the other bills in the Momnibus, as they are critical first steps in addressing the maternal health crisis,” said Congresswoman Moore.

“It is disturbing and unacceptable that Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women—a glaring sign that the inequities in our health care system are costing lives and hitting communities of color the hardest,” said Senator Merkley. “We must do everything we can—including supporting more diversity and representation within our perinatal workforce—to fix this and ensure that every person in America receives high-quality maternity care.”