U.S. Senators Katie Britt, Cory Booker Seek to Designate January 23 as Maternal Health Awareness Day

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) announced the reintroduction of a bipartisan resolution to officially designate January 23 as Maternal Health Awareness Day. The resolution emphasizes the importance of raising public awareness of maternal health outcomes and promotes initiatives to address and eliminate its disparities.

"Every mother deserves access to quality care-before, during, and after pregnancy. Maternal Health Awareness Day is an important opportunity to continue our commitment to supporting mothers, championing families, and working to ensure the best possible health outcomes for women and their babies across the nation, especially in rural and underserved areas," said Senator Britt.

The resolution notes that as many as 60,000 women in the United States suffer from a severe maternal morbidity, which includes unexpected outcomes of labor and delivery that can result in significant short- and long-term health consequences, and recognizes community-based maternal health models that have been proven to improve the health of birthing people throughout the country. With one-third of maternal mortality cases occurring between one week and one year postpartum, expanding access to health care after delivery nationwide is a vital step to saving lives.

In Alabama, over a third of its 67 counties are classified as "maternity care deserts," areas without access to birthing facilities or maternity care providers. In the fall of 2023, three Alabama hospitals announced closures of their labor and delivery departments, leaving both Shelby and Monroe counties without labor and delivery services. Additionally, Alabama has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation at 59.7 deaths per 100,000 births.

"In the richest country in the world, it is unacceptable that giving birth in America remains one of the most dangerous experiences a woman can face, especially for Black women," said Senator Booker. "The vast majority of maternal deaths are preventable. Addressing the maternal health crisis is not a partisan issue; it is a responsibility we all share. That is why I am proud to work with my Republican colleague to stand up and demand that Congress act quickly to ensure that every mother has access to safe, affordable, and high-quality health care.

This resolution builds on the Senators' ongoing efforts to improve maternal health outcomes. In November 2025, Senator Booker joined Senator Britt in reintroducing the NIH IMPROVE Act, legislation that would provide consistent, long-term funding for research on maternal care and mortality, generating the data needed to save lives and improve outcomes for mothers nationwide.

"Giving birth should deliver joy - a healthy baby to a healthy mom, both with the promise of a healthy future. But far too often in the U.S., the journey of pregnancy and childbirth is unnecessarily risky, even dangerous, sometimes deadly. Far too many moms, especially moms who are Black, Native, or living in rural communities don't receive the quality, comprehensive, respectful, responsive and nurturing maternal healthcare they need to deliver that healthy beginning and healthy future to themselves and the babies they love. We can all agree: our moms and babies, all of our moms and babies, deserve better. That's why the What to Expect Project and I are proud to stand with Senator Booker and Senator Britt in support of the bipartisan Maternal Health Awareness Day Resolution, and to raise our voices in support of moms and babies everywhere," said Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You're Expecting and founder of the What to Expect Project.

"The United States remains in the midst of a maternal and infant health crisis, one marked by outcomes that are both unacceptable and largely preventable," said Stacey Y. Brayboy, Senior Vice President of Public Policy & Government Affairs at March of Dimes. "Each year, more than 600 women die from pregnancy-related causes, tens of thousands experience life-threatening complications, nearly 380,000 infants are born preterm, and almost 40,000 babies are lost to infant death or stillbirth. For the fourth consecutive year, the U.S. has received a D+ on the March of Dimes Report Card, underscoring the urgent need for action."Brayboy continued, "Raising awareness is a critical first step in addressing the systemic drivers of this crisis. March of Dimes thanks Senator Booker and Senator Britt for introducing this bipartisan resolution to recognize Maternal Health Awareness Day and for their continued leadership in advancing policies that improve outcomes for moms and babies at a time when our nation needs it most."

You can read the full text of the resolution here.

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