[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 59 (Monday, April 4, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H4133-H4134]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DATA MAPPING TO SAVE MOMS' LIVES ACT
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1218) to require the Federal Communications Commission to
incorporate data on maternal health outcomes into its broadband health
maps, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1218
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Data Mapping to Save Moms'
Lives Act''.
SEC. 2. MAPPING BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY AND MATERNAL HEALTH
OUTCOMES.
(a) Incorporation of Maternal Mortality and Severe Maternal
Morbidity Data.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications
Commission shall incorporate publicly available data on
maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, including
for not less than 1 year postpartum, into the Mapping
Broadband Health in America platform of the Commission.
(b) Consultation With CDC.--The Federal Communications
Commission shall consult with the Director of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention regarding the maternal
mortality and severe maternal morbidity data that should be
incorporated under subsection (a).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
General Leave
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H.R. 1218.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1218, the Data
Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act.
Tragically, the United States has the highest rate of maternal
mortality across developed nations. While maternal mortality and
morbidity are problems that affect women across the country, these
concerns are especially pronounced in Black and Native American
communities. Maternal mortality rates for Black women are three times
higher than those of White women, and the rate of death for American
Indian and Alaska Native women is two times higher.
This legislation seeks to provide a visualization for the public on
how connectivity and these health data intersect. It will help guide
policymakers on how to target telehealth services to vulnerable
populations and communities at risk in an effort to reduce maternal
mortality and morbidity in this country.
For pregnant women, access to telehealth services like routine
checkups, health monitoring, and updated prescriptions can go a long
way in ensuring the health and safety of both the mother and child.
Specifically, under this legislation, the FCC is required to
integrate publicly available data related to maternal health, including
mortality and severe morbidity, into its Mapping Broadband Health in
America platform. The FCC will be required to consult with the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention to determine the right data to
include for this effort.
I commend Representatives Butterfield, Bilirakis, and Blunt Rochester
for their bipartisan efforts on this legislation. I also thank
Subcommittee Chairman Doyle for working to get this legislation through
the Communications and Technology Subcommittee.
I also commend you, Madam Speaker, as the vice chair of the Energy
and Commerce Committee, because you have spent quite a bit of time
dealing with these maternal mortality issues.
This initiative, combined with other good work we and the executive
branch have done, will help us better understand the communications
barriers some pregnant women face so that we can then explore
connectivity policies that help keep these women safe and healthy.
I know the Senate has passed a companion bill recently, led by
Senators Rosen and Fischer. Although there are some technical
differences between the two bills, my hope is that we can get those
worked out as quickly as possible and get this legislation to the
President's desk.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Data Mapping to
Save Moms' Lives Act in a bipartisan manner, and I reserve the balance
of my time.
Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1218, the Data Mapping to
Save Moms' Lives Act, which was introduced by Representatives
Butterfield and Bilirakis.
Maternal mortality continues to affect mothers and children across
the United States, particularly in rural areas. The Energy and Commerce
Committee has worked to address this preventable issue, but
unfortunately, challenges remain.
Congress has previously taken steps to understand which communities
are most affected and what we can do to reverse this alarming trend.
Today's legislation will build on existing tools of the Federal
Communications Commission by incorporating publicly available data on
maternal health outcomes into its Mapping Broadband Health in America
tool. The FCC would be required to work with the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention to determine which maternal health outcomes to
include.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), the cosponsor of this
legislation.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Madam Speaker, we know that maternal mortality has
been increasing in the U.S. while declining in other countries,
unfortunately. We know these rates are even worse for Black women,
Madam Speaker.
We also know that lack of broadband in today's society can lead to
isolation, poorer education outcomes, and fewer work opportunities.
What we don't know is how broadband access impacts maternal health
outcomes. Finding this out is our goal.
At the end of the day, we all want to lower maternal mortality rates
and ensure that babies are both healthy and grow up with the love and
support of their mothers.
I am proud to co-lead this legislation, a bipartisan piece of
legislation, with my good friend, Mr. Butterfield, who we are going to
miss because he is retiring after this term, and Ms. Blunt Rochester,
another fellow member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Madam Speaker, I urge passage of this great bill.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Balderson).
Mr. BALDERSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Data
Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act.
The United States is one of the few Nations in the world experiencing
a rise in pregnancy-related deaths, claiming the lives of hundreds of
moms each year. Behind each of these cases are stories of heartbreak
and devastation for families and communities.
We must do more to improve health outcomes for moms and babies across
this country, and telehealth services will play a critical role in
doing so.
[[Page H4134]]
This bill would instruct the FCC to work with the CDC to incorporate
publicly available data on severe maternal morbidity and mortality into
its Mapping Broadband Health in America platform.
Using this data, we can more accurately identify the communities with
high maternal morbidity and mortality rates that lack broadband
connectivity. This will allow for the government to better target areas
with critical telehealth services and, ultimately, pave the way for
better health outcomes for new and expecting mothers.
Madam Speaker, I strongly urge all of my colleagues to support this
bill.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, again, I rise in support of H.R. 1218, the
Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act, and I urge all Members to support
this legislation.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I urge bipartisan support for this bill
as part of our continued effort to address maternal mortality, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R.
1218, the ``Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act'' which directs the
Federal Communications Commission to identify areas of the country
where poor maternal health rates overlap with deficiencies in broadband
access that are needed to effectively deploy telehealth services.
In the United States, black women are 2 to 6 times more likely to die
from complications of pregnancy than white women, depending on where
they live.
Dating back to maternity mortality analysis from 1979 to 1992, the
overall pregnancy-related mortality ratio was 25.1 deaths per 100,000
for black women, 10.3 for Hispanic women, and 6.0 for non-Hispanic
white women.
During 2011-2015, the pregnancy-related mortality ratios were--
42.8 deaths per 100,000 live births for black non-Hispanic women;
32.5 deaths per 100,000 live births for American Indian/Alaskan
Native non-Hispanic women;
14.2 deaths per 100,000 live births for Asian/Pacific Islander non-
Hispanic women;
13.0 deaths per 100,000 live births for white non-Hispanic women; and
11.4 deaths per 100,000 live births for Hispanic women.
Madam Speaker, Black women in the United States experience
unacceptably poor maternal health outcomes, including
disproportionately high rates of death related to pregnancy or
childbirth.
Both societal and health system factors contribute to high rates of
poor health outcomes and maternal mortality for Black women, who are
more likely to experience barriers to obtaining quality care and often
face racial discrimination throughout their lives.
Health inequity stems from economic inequality and its contributing
factors including sexism and racism. To that point, Black women are
typically paid just 63 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-
Hispanic men.
Median wages for Black women in the United States are $36,227 per
year, which is $21,698 less than the median wages for white, non-
Hispanic men.
These lost wages mean Black women and their families have less money
to support themselves and their families and may have to choose between
essential resources like housing, childcare, food, and health care.
These trade-offs are evident in Black women's health outcomes and use
of medical care.
Compared to white women, Black women are more likely to be uninsured,
face greater financial barriers to care when they need it and are less
likely to access prenatal care.
Black women experience higher rates of many preventable disease and
chronic health conditions including diabetes, hypertension, and
cardiovascular disease.
When Black women choose to become pregnant, these health conditions
influence both maternal and infant health outcomes.
To improve Black women's maternal health, we need a multi-faceted
approach that addresses Black women's health across the lifespan,
improves access to quality care, addresses social determinants of
health and provides greater economic security. Comprehensive data on
maternal health is certainly a part of that approach.
Black women are three to four times more likely to experience a
pregnancy-related death than white women.
Black women are more likely to experience preventable maternal death
compared with white women.
Black women's heightened risk of pregnancy-related death spans income
and education levels.
Black women experience more maternal health complications than white
women. Black women are more likely to experience complications
throughout the course of their pregnancies than white women.
Black women are three times more likely to have fibroids (benign
tumors that grow in the uterus and can cause postpartum hemorrhaging)
than white women, and the fibroids occur at younger ages and grow more
quickly for Black women.
Black women display signs of preeclampsia earlier in pregnancy than
white women. This condition, which involves high blood pressure during
pregnancy, can lead to severe complications including death if
improperly treated.
Black women experience physical ``weathering,'' meaning their bodies
age faster than white women's due to exposure to chronic stress linked
to socioeconomic disadvantage and discrimination over the life course,
thus making pregnancy riskier at an earlier age.
Primarily Black-serving hospitals provide lower quality maternity
care, where seventy-five percent of Black women give birth.
Those same hospitals also have higher rates of maternal complications
than other hospitals. They also perform worse on 12 of 15 birth
outcomes, including elective deliveries, non-elective cesarean births
and maternal mortality.
Many Black women have a difficult time accessing the reproductive
health care that meets their needs. Access to reproductive health care,
which helps women plan their families, improves health outcomes for
women and children.
Black women experience higher rates of unintended pregnancies than
all other racial groups, in part because of disparities in access to
quality contraceptive care and counseling.
Many Black women lack access to quality contraceptive care and
counseling.
For example, in a recent analysis of California women enrolled in
Medicaid, Black women were less likely than white or Latina women to
receive postpartum contraception, and when they did receive it, they
were less likely to receive a highly effective method.
Black women's access to abortion is limited, and they may be more
likely to experience the ill effects of abortion restrictions--such as
delayed care, increased costs or lack of access to care.
Black and Hispanic adults in the United States remain less likely
than White adults to say they own a traditional computer or have high-
speed internet at home, according to a Pew Research Center survey
conducted Jan. 25 to Feb. 8, 2021.
In addition, only 40 percent of Black adults report having broadband
access in their homes. This figure is another testament to the
inhibitions black women face in getting the care they need, which this
act aims to resolve.
It is for that reason Madam Speaker I support the ``Data Mapping to
Save Moms' Lives Act.''
Comprehensive data on maternal health will play a role in saving the
lives of pregnant black women, so I am proud to support this Act.
Though there is still much work to be done, this bill is a good first
step in the right direction. I urge my colleagues to support this
potentially life-saving piece of legislation.
For far too long black women have disproportionately suffered lower
maternal health rates and outcomes. The passage of this Act finally
provides us a route to remediation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1218, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion
are postponed.
____________________