Underwood Testifies to House Veterans Affairs Committee in Support of Momnibus Legislation
WASHINGTON – Thursday, Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL) appeared before the House Veterans Affairs Committee during a legislative hearing on her bipartisan legislation, the Maternal Health for Veterans Act. This marked the first congressional hearing on Momnibus legislation this year.
Underwood, the lead sponsor of the legislation and Co-Chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, testified to the bill’s enormous impact on veterans and their families and urged the Committee to pass the legislation without delay:
“We have a lot more work to do to live up to the promises we made our veteran families. They served our country, and our job is to serve them. That is why I introduced the Maternal Health for Veterans Act,”Underwood said. “This legislation builds on our success advocating for quality maternal health care for our veterans. Our veterans are not just our heroes, as moms, they’re also the heroes of their families, and during the vulnerable pregnancy and postpartum periods they rely on us to ensure they have access to quality health care. We owe them the very best.”
Melissa Bryant, Chair of the Board of Directors of Minority Veterans of America, also testified in support of the Maternal Health for Veterans Act:
“Addressing maternal health disparities among veterans is paramount for future generations who will return from service to start families,” Bryant said in written testimony. “We wholeheartedly support this bill.”
Footage of Underwood’s full testimony can be found here.
The Maternal Health for Veterans Act is included in the Momnibus Act to reauthorize critical investments in maternal health for veterans from the Protecting Moms Who Served Act, which was signed into law by President Biden in 2021.
The full Momnibus package, introduced by Underwood along with Rep. Alma Adams (NC) and Senator Cory Booker (NJ), is the only comprehensive legislative solution to improving maternal health outcomes and combatting maternal mortality across America. The package makes critical investments in addressing social determinants of health, funding community-based organizations, growing and diversifying the perinatal workforce, and improving data collection processes.
Underwood and Adams co-founded the Black Maternal Health Caucus in 2019.
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