[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 101 (Monday, June 18, 2018)] [Senate] [Pages S3981-S3982] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated: POM-247. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Michigan urging the United States Congress to award the posthumous Medal of Honor to Lieutenant Colonel Albert M. Edwards for his actions during the Civil War; to the Committee on Armed Services. House Concurrent Resolution No. 19 Whereas, A resident of Detroit at the tune of the Civil War, Albert M. Edwards left college in his second year to enlist as a sergeant in the 24th Michigan Infantry Regiment During his service, he was promoted to captain of Company F where he was instrumental in raising the new regiment, organizing his company in only two days, and Whereas, Captain Edwards took command of the regiment in the Battle of Gettysburg on July 1, 1863 As other leaders were wounded or killed, Captain Edwards behaved gallantly to rally the men while under fire. The regiment suffered horrible casualties, more than any of the 400 Union regiments that fought in the three-day battle. The 24th Michigan Infantry was instrumental in providing the Army of the Potomac time to establish a solid defensive position that the Confederate Army would not be able to break, and Whereas, Captain Edwards commanded the regiment multiple times during his service and participated in every battle and march of the regiment. Although never wounded in action, he was captured in battle but returned to his regiment in a prisoner exchange. He was promoted to major and lieutenant- colonel during the war. When the regiment returned to Detroit in June of 1865, Colonel Edwards was in command, and Whereas, While fighting in the Battle of the Wilderness in May 1864, Major Edwards captured a Confederate flag. The capture was recorded by the regiment historian and confirmed by an assistant adjutant general, and the flag found its way to the archives of the War Department in Washington Capturing a Confederate battle flag was a common criterion for awarding the medal of honor to a soldier, and Whereas, Colonel Edwards was given the honorary promotion of ``Brevet Colonel,'' often used in recognition of gallant conduct or other meritorious service Colonel Edwards also received wide acknowledgement at Civil War reunions, as reported in newspapers, and Whereas, Colonel Albert M. Edwards has never received official recognition for his acts of patriotism and honor, now therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (The Senate Concurring), That we memorialize the Congress of the United States to award the posthumous Medal of Honor to Lieutenant- Colonel Albert M. Edwards for his actions during the Civil War, and be it further Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation. ____ POM-248. A resolution adopted by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey urging the United States Congress to enact S. 1112, the ``Maternal Health Accountability Act of 2017'' in order to enable states and the federal government to share responsibility in identifying opportunities for improving care, reducing disparities, and implementing system changes relating to maternal health care, and to educate health care providers, pregnant women, their families, and the public about preventing pregnancy-related and pregnancy- associated complications and deaths; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Assembly Resolution No. 113 Whereas, The United States is ranked 50th in the world for its maternal mortality rate, and is one of eight countries in which the maternal mortality rate has been on the rise; and Whereas, Recent studies have found that the estimated maternal mortality rate in the United States increased by approximately 27 percent between 2000 and 2014, with the rate increasing in nearly every state in the country; and Whereas, Maternal deaths in the United States result from pregnancy-related causes such as hemorrhage, hypertensive disease, preeclampsia, embolic disease, and sepsis, addiction-related causes such as substance use disorder and overdose, and violent causes, including motor vehicle accidents, homicide, and suicide; and Whereas, The most severe complications of pregnancy, generally referred to as severe maternal morbidity, affect more than 65,000 women in the United States each year; and Whereas, Data from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows African-American women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications or childbirth than White women and women of other races; and Whereas, These statistics are a source of great concern for the CDC, health care providers, and patient advocacy organizations such as the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, and the Preeclampsia Foundation; and Whereas, Systemic reviews of maternal pregnancy-related and pregnancy-associated deaths are essential in determining strategies for developing prevention efforts, identifying at- risk populations, and understanding how to support expectant mothers and make pregnancy and the postpartum period safer; and Whereas, The CDC recommends that maternal deaths be investigated through State maternal mortality review committees; and Whereas, The committees include obstetricians and neonatologists from private and public health care settings and representatives of relevant academic, health, social service, policy, and community-based organizations, and make recommendations for preventing pregnancy-related and pregnancy-associated complications and deaths and identifying ways to improve quality of care for women and children; and [[Page S3982]] Whereas, Currently, fewer than 25 states conduct systemic reviews of maternal deaths or have standing maternal mortality review committees; and Whereas, A bill pending before the United States Congress, S. 1112, the federal ``Maternal Health Accountability Act of 2017,'' would require the CDC to support states and federally recognized Indian tribes and tribal organizations in saving and sustaining the health of mothers during pregnancy, childbirth, and in the postpartum period, eliminating disparities in maternal health outcomes, assessing the various factors that may contribute to maternal mortality, including quality of care and systemic problems in the delivery of health care, identifying solutions to address these factors, and developing appropriate interventions to reduce and prevent maternal deaths; and Whereas, Under the provisions of S. 1112, the CDC is required to establish a grant program through which states and federally recognized Indian tribes and tribal organizations would receive funds to establish maternal mortality review committees; and Whereas, The purpose of these committees would be to collect data on pregnancy-related and pregnancy-associated deaths and make recommendations on improving maternal health before, during, and after pregnancy; and Whereas, The enactment of S. 1112 will enable states and the federal government to share responsibility in identifying opportunities for improving care, reducing disparities, and implementing system changes relating to maternal health care, and to educate health care providers, pregnant women, their families, and the public about preventing pregnancy-related and pregnancy-associated complications and deaths; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey: 1. The United States Congress is respectfully urged to enact S. 1112, the ``Maternal Health Accountability Act of 2017'' in order to enable states and the federal government to share responsibility in identifying opportunities for improving care, reducing disparities, and implementing system changes relating to maternal health care, and to educate health care providers, pregnant women, their families, and the public about preventing pregnancy-related and pregnancy- associated complications and deaths. 2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly, to the President and Vice President of the United States, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, and to every member of New Jersey's congressional delegation. ____________________