{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/merkley-booker-grassley-hinson-and-adams-lead-bipartisan-push-for-stillbirth-prevention-and-awareness/", "Merkley, Booker, Grassley, Hinson, and Adams Lead Bipartisan Push for Stillbirth Prevention and Awareness", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", "merkley", "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) partnered with U.S. Representatives Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02) and Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (D-NC-12) to introduce a bipartisan, bicameral resolution recognizing September 19, 2026, as National Stillbirth Prevention and Awareness Day. With almost one-fourth of stillbirths being potentially preventable, this resolution stresses the importance of advancing evidence-based stillbirth prevention efforts in the United States.\n\n\u201cEvery parent who experiences a stillbirth deserves support and clear action. Stillbirth remains a heartbreaking and preventable public health crisis, with Black, Native, and Hispanic families facing disproportionately high rates of loss,\u201d said Merkley. \u201cGetting my Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act signed into law was an important first step, but we cannot let up. This National Stillbirth Prevention and Awareness Day, we must keep pushing for necessary action to save lives and spare families this devastating loss.\u201d\n\n\u201cEvery year, more than 20,000 families in the United States experience a stillbirth, and too many of these losses may be preventable,\u201d said Booker. \u201cLosing a baby to stillbirth is devastating, and on National Stillbirth Prevention and Awareness Day, we stand with the families who have experienced this profound loss and recommit ourselves to preventing stillbirth wherever possible. By investing in research, improving data collection, raising awareness, and strengthening access to high-quality maternal health care, we can better understand the causes of stillbirth, reduce preventable losses, and support healthier pregnancies.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo family should have to endure the heartbreak of a stillbirth. While states like Iowa have made progress at reducing stillbirths, there\u2019s still much more to be done to strengthen maternal healthcare, especially in rural areas, to help prevent these tragedies. Our bipartisan resolution raises awareness and promotes research to help target contributing factors and save babies\u2019 lives,\u201d said Grassley.\n\n\u201cImproving prenatal education and access to maternal care\u2014especially in rural areas where women may travel over an hour to see a provider\u2014is critical to protecting babies and reducing maternal deaths. Getting my Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act signed into law was a major step, but more must be done to support expecting moms and prevent stillbirths. I\u2019m proud to reintroduce this resolution recognizing September 19th as National Stillbirth Prevention and Awareness Day and will continue working across the aisle to end the tragedy of stillbirth,\u201d said Hinson.\n\n\u201cIt has already taken way too long for Congress to wake up to the tragedy that is our country\u2019s stillbirth crisis,\u201d said Adams, co-founder and co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus. \u201cWe have made some great progress, but there is so much more to be done. We already have many innovative solutions to reduce stillbirth \u2014 our country just hasn\u2019t invested in them at a national scale. We can, and we must do better for our moms.\u201d\n\nAccording to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, one out of every 183 U.S. births\u2014more than 20,000 per year\u2014tragically results in a stillbirth, which is more stillbirths annually than the number of babies who pass away during their first year of life. Parents who experience stillbirth are also at an increased risk for severe maternal morbidity, depression, and mortality.\n\nIn the Senate, the resolution is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Steve Daines (R-MT), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Angus King (I-ME), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Gary Peters (D-MI), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).\n\nIn the House, the resolution is cosponsored by U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-NM-01).\n\nThe bipartisan, bicameral resolution is supported by 46 organizations, including Healthy Birth Day, Inc., March of Dimes, and the Association of Women\u2019s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. A full list of supporting organizations can be found by clicking here.\n\n\u201cNearly five thousand babies\u2019 lives could be saved annually through greater focus on stillbirth prevention efforts. National Stillbirth Prevention & Awareness Day is an opportunity to address the urgent stillbirth crisis in the U.S. and share free resources and tools like Count the Kicks which are saving lives. Our message to the country: it doesn\u2019t have to be this way,\u201d said Emily Price, Healthy Birth Day, Inc. CEO.\n\n\u201cThe Association of Women\u2019s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses applauds Senator Jeff Merkley for introducing the National Stillbirth Prevention and Awareness Day Resolution and for elevating awareness of an issue that affects thousands of families across the United States each year. Stillbirth is a devastating loss with lasting emotional, physical, and psychological impacts on parents, families, and communities. While not all stillbirths can be prevented, research continues to demonstrate that increased awareness, equitable access to high-quality prenatal care, evidence-based clinical practices, and timely recognition of warning signs can help reduce the risk of preventable stillbirths. This resolution helps shine a spotlight on the urgent need to strengthen prevention efforts, support families who have experienced loss, and address persistent disparities in maternal and infant health,\u201d said Elizabeth A. McIntire, MSN, RN, WHNP-BC, C-EFM, Association of Women\u2019s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses President.\n\n\u201cEvery year, thousands of families experience the devastating loss of a stillborn baby with lasting impacts on mom and her health,\u201d said Stacey Y. Brayboy, March of Dimes Senior Vice President of Public Policy & Government Affairs. \u201cYet, research shows that many stillbirths are potentially preventable. We must do more to support moms, protect babies, and care for their families. March of Dimes is proud to endorse the National Stillbirth Prevention and Awareness Day Resolution and urges action to advance research, strengthen prevention, address maternal health risks, and ensure families have access to the care and resources they need.\u201d\n\nIn 2024, the bipartisan Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act\u2014led by Merkley in the Senate and Hinson and Adams in the House\u2014was signed into law to help save the lives of mothers and babies across America. Senators Booker and Merkley also lead the Stillbirth Health Improvement and Education (SHINE) for Autumn Act, which would improve data collection, research, education, and public awareness around stillbirth.\n\nFull text of the resolution can be found by clicking here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"]], "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.merkley.senate.gov/merkley-booker-grassley-hinson-and-adams-lead-bipartisan-push-for-stillbirth-prevention-and-awareness/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5562227927148342, "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"}