U.S. Senators Katie Britt, R-Ala., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., announced last Friday 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 Sen. 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, according to Britt’s press release. “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 Sen. 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, Booker joined 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, Britt’s release shared.
You can read the full text of the resolution here.
