{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://sewell.house.gov/2023/5/following-mother-s-day-rep-sewell-introduces-legislation-to-protect-the-health-of-mothers-and-babies", "Following Mother\u2019s Day, Rep. Sewell Introduces Legislation to Protect the Health of Mothers and Babies", "2023-05-15", "2023", "2023-05", "Democrat", "House", "AL", "Terri A. Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", "sewell", "https://sewell.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "The Maternal Vaccination Act would address America\u2019s maternal health crisis by boosting vaccination rates among vulnerable mothers and babies\n\nWashington D.C. \u2013 Today, following the celebration of Mother\u2019s Day, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) introduced the Maternal Vaccination Act to protect the health of mothers and babies by increasing maternal and childhood vaccination rates. The legislation was included as a part of the larger \u201cMomnibus,\u201d a package of 13 bills that would address the United States\u2019 urgent maternal health crisis. Rep. Sewell is a proud member of the Black Maternal Health Caucus.\n\n\u201cAs we celebrate Mother\u2019s Day, we must also commit to solving our country\u2019s urgent maternal health crisis,\u201d said Rep. Sewell. \u201cIn this nation of so much wealth and prosperity, it is simply unconscionable that our mothers continue to die during pregnancy and childbirth at the highest rate in the developed world.\u201d\n\n\u201cUp to 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable,\u201d continued Sewell. \u201cOur Maternal Vaccination Act will save lives by helping to ensure that our most vulnerable moms and babies are protected against deadly, preventable diseases.\u201d\n\nThe United States has the highest maternal mortality rate of any high-income country, and it is rapidly getting worse. Recent data from the CDC show that maternal deaths in recent years have increased by a dramatic 40%. But there is hope; more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable, and federal action is needed to comprehensively address the drivers of this crisis and save moms\u2019 lives.\n\nThe Maternal Vaccination Act will provide funding for a public and provider awareness campaign to promote maternal and child vaccinations, including initiatives to:\n\nIncrease awareness about the safety, importance, and effectiveness of vaccines for pregnant and postpartum people and their children;\n\nProvide targeted, evidence-based, culturally and linguistically appropriate resources about vaccines to pregnant and postpartum people, particularly in communities with historically low vaccination rates; and\n\nProvide evidence-based information and resources on the safety and importance of maternal and child vaccinations to public health departments, maternal health care providers, and perinatal health workers.\n\nRead more about the Momnibus here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T23:55:44Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://sewell.house.gov/2023/5/following-mother-s-day-rep-sewell-introduces-legislation-to-protect-the-health-of-mothers-and-babies"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.95713185146451, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}