{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-britt-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-fund-maternal-care-and-mortality-research", "Booker, Britt Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Fund Maternal Care and Mortality Research", "2025-11-20", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Katie Britt (R-AL) introduced the NIH IMPROVE Act, the Senate companion to U.S. Representatives Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) and Brian Fitzpatrick\u2019s (R-PA01) House bill, which would ensure consistent funding for research on maternal care and mortality.\n\nIn 2019, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the Implementing a Maternal Health and Pregnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE) Initiative. The IMPROVE Initiative supports research to reduce preventable causes of maternal deaths and improve health care for women before, during, and after pregnancy.\n\nHowever, this critical research program lacks a sustained funding source, threatening research outcomes and conclusions. The NIH IMPROVE Act would authorize consistent funding for this existing program for the next seven years, providing NIH the support and resources to pursue research into the root causes of America\u2019s maternal mortality crisis.\n\n\u201cStudies show that 80% of maternal deaths are preventable, and the NIH IMPROVE Act is a critical step forward in addressing our nation\u2019s ongoing maternal health crisis,\u201d said Senator Booker. \u201cThis bipartisan legislation expands research and strengthens data collection so we can better understand how to save lives and close long-standing disparities in care.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m proud to fight for moms and women across Alabama and America. This bipartisan legislation will support targeted funding for critical research to improve health outcomes for women throughout their pregnancy journey,\u201d said Senator Britt. \u201cI\u2019m committed to ensuring the NIH remains the gold-standard of research and provides solutions to improve health outcomes for women before, during, and after pregnancy.\u201d\n\n\u201cSix years ago, we worked with the National Institutes of Health to start the IMPROVE Initiative to make smart investments in comprehensive research and evidence-based solutions that save moms\u2019 lives and advance birth equity,\u201d said Representative Underwood.\u201cSince 2019, IMPROVE has invested more than $200 million in life-saving research that will help end our nation\u2019s maternal health crisis. Our bipartisan NIH IMPROVE Act will advance maternal health research by permanently authorizing funding for IMPROVE, making sure that NIH can continue this critical work.\u201d\n\nThe NIH IMPROVE Act would authorize $53.4 million annually for seven years to carry out the IMPROVE Initiative and support research on potential causes of maternal mortality and severe morbidity. Additionally, the act would approve research that would target disparities associated with maternal mortality and severe morbidity, and aim to reduce preventable causes of maternal deaths, as well as build an evidence base for improved care and outcomes in underserved maternal care deserts.\n\n\u201cThe Women\u2019s First Research Coalition (WFRC) strongly supports the introduction of the NIH IMPROVE Act by Senators Katie Britt (R-AL) and Cory Booker (D-NJ). This important legislation will provide critical funding for the IMPROVE initiative through the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), which is designed to support research dedicated to reducing preventable maternal morbidity and mortality and improving health for women before, during, and after childbirth. The IMPROVE initiative has led to the creation of the Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence - a national network focused on maternal morbidity and mortality. We urge Congress to pass this vital legislation to build on the work that the NIH has already done to support the research necessary to improve maternal health outcomes in the U.S,\u201d said The Women\u2019s First Research Coalition.\n\nThe NIH IMPROVE Act is endorsed by: March of Dimes and the Women\u2019s First Research Coalition.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"]], "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://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-britt-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-fund-maternal-care-and-mortality-research"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.524672145023942, "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"}