Alma S. Adams · TranslatePolitics.com

House of Representatives

NIH Implementing a Maternal Health and Pregnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone Act

2026-07-20

“I want this bill to pass so the government can claim it is helping mothers. The government must spend more money on this problem. I have a sad story about my daughter. That means you should pass this bill. I want to talk about my big plan. We need many bills. We must pass more bills.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in favor of the NIH IMPROVE Act. One of my core beliefs that has led to my work in Congress is that health care is our most basic human right. Yet, in our country, we see some of the worst disparities in health care access and outcomes. The maternal health crisis is no exception. Black women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy- related causes than other women. Women living in rural areas are losing access to local labor and delivery units, as more rural hospitals close their maternity wards. This has not only delayed care but has led to worsening outcomes. Our country's maternal mortality rate is higher than any other high-income country in the world. Over 80 percent of these deaths are preventable. We can and must do better. We have made substantial progress in understanding and addressing this crisis through the NIH IMPROVE Initiative. In early 2019, Congresswoman Underwood and I met with then-Director of the National Institutes of Health to urge the agency to do more to address the maternal health crisis. In response, the NIH launched the IMPROVE Initiative later that year, which stands for Implementing a Maternal Health and Pregnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone. The IMPROVE Initiative supports research to reduce preventable causes of maternal deaths and improve health for women before, during, and after pregnancy. It includes a special emphasis on health disparities and populations that are disproportionately affected, such as racial and ethnic minorities, very young women and women of advanced maternal age, women living in rural areas, and people with disabilities. THE IMPROVE Initiative has funded: Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence--two of which are housed at HBCUs; Research projects on social determinants of maternal health, the impact of community violence on maternal health outcomes, and structural racism and discrimination; and The development of new home-based and point-of-care diagnostic devices for postpartum care. Through the federal appropriations process, Congress has quintupled funding for the Initiative since it was first launched. However, it has not yet been put into statute, which would ensure the longevity of the program and maintain consistent funding to address maternal mortality. The bill would authorize $53.4 million every year for seven years. With that funding, the program will continue to investigate disparities in maternal health care, and develop ways to improve care and outcomes, including in our underserved maternal care deserts. For too long, families in our country have faced the devastating losses of mothers to pregnancy-related causes. And too often these deaths have been completely preventable. This is personal to me. My daughter, Jeanelle, almost lost her life to this crisis. Her doctor dismissed her pain and concerns, and by the time her medical team finally responded, it was almost too late. That dismissal and delay in care is a story I hear far too often from other mothers, especially Black mothers. Jeanelle is one of the tens of thousands of women who've experience ``near misses'' with pregnancy- related complications. That experience made me think about what it means to be a mom. Jeanelle is my daughter, a sister, and the mother of two amazing chiidren--she's also a dedicated contributor to her community. Mothers everywhere, like Jeanelle, are calling on Congress to do everything we can to better understand this crisis, so we can fix this crisis. Dedicated research funding is the way to do that. This bill was reported out of the Energy and Commerce Committee with unanimous support. It is bipartisan and bicameral. Passing the NIH IMPROVE Act today signifies Congress's united commitment to all mothers across our country that we can and will do better. We will deliver for our moms--because our moms can't wait. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.

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