Reducing maternal mortality both at home and abroad.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1022, as amended and presented to the House today. Mr. Speaker, reducing maternal and child mortality and providing quality health care and nutrition to ensure the well-being of both mother and baby here and abroad, has been a top legislative priority for me throughout my 28 years as a Member of Congress.

All loss of life is tragic, especially when it is preventable. When a mother dies, the loss, the heartache is compounded by the deleterious impact on her children, on families and on the community.

As H. Res. 1022 points out, each year, more than a million children are left motherless and, as a consequence, are vulnerable. In many places, young girls are pulled from school and required to fill their lost mother's role in the home, cutting short their abilities to pursue an education.

And the evidence suggests that newborns whose mothers die of any cause are 3 times to 10 times more likely to die within the first 2 years than those whose mothers survive.

What is most unfortunate and thereby, should be unacceptable, is the fact that most maternal deaths are avoidable. With proper prenatal care and maternal health care, sanitary conditions for delivery, and available lifesaving emergency interventions, essential obstetrical services, these lives need not be lost. Even in our own country maternal mortality, although rarer than in the developing world, occurs. No loss of life is acceptable.

Mr. Speaker, hemorrhaging and blood loss are the top cause of maternal mortality and are of grave concern. During an African subcommittee hearing that I chaired during the previous Congress which concerned itself with safe blood, we heard from Dr. Neelam Dhingra, of the World Health Organization. Dr. Dhingra informed us that the most common cause of maternal death in sub-Saharan Africa is severe bleeding, which can take the life of even a healthy woman within 2 hours, if not properly and immediately treated. She gave us the astounding statistic that in Africa, severe bleeding during delivery, or after childbirth, contributes to up to 44 percent of maternal deaths, many of which could be prevented simply through access to safe blood.

Sufficient quantity and quality of immediately available and usable blood must become the norm and not the exception.

And I want to applaud the efforts of Chaka Fattah who has pushed very hard over the years to try to grow the amount, the quality and the quantity of blood in Africa. And USAID is addressing this in a number of programs, including the PEPFAR program.

Women should not die from blood loss, simply due to lack of access to basic interventions like safe blood. Support of this resolution today puts us on record as focusing on these kinds of interventions.

Mr. Speaker, one severe disfiguring disability that occurs in childbirth is obstetric fistula. Fistula can be treated and repaired through a relatively minor surgical procedure that costs, on average, $150 per surgery.

I saw that firsthand, Mr. Speaker, on a trip several years back to Addis Ababa, where there is this famous hospital which has now grown and has satellites, and obviously has inspired other similar hospitals that treat the women who make it to them, and they're the lucky ones. I saw many of the women who were waiting in lines, who were incontinent, who were very sorrowful about their conditions but very hope-filled, knowing it was a matter of when and not if they would get this great surgery.

Still, large numbers of women, an estimated 2 million, endure the tremendous pain and numbing isolation that comes from being the walking wounded, incontinent and ostracized, and not able to get to hospitals like that which is in Addis. With just a small investment of health care dollars, the lives of these women could be dramatically changed.

In 2005, I would just point out, I sponsored an amendment that passed on this floor to allocate $12.5 million dollars to establish 12 centers to provide treatment and surgery that would have allowed thousands of women to be physically cured and emotionally healed from fistula, preventing disease, death, and allowing them to return to normal life.

The amendment authorized funding for preventive measures as well, such as providing skilled birth attendants who can identify an obstructed delivery early and prevent an obstetric fistula from occurring in the fist place. Unfortunately, the underlying legislation made it over to the Senate, but died.

However, I did ask the Bush administration, namely Dr. Kent Hill, USAID Assistant Administrator for Global Health, to initiate administratively a robust fistula program, which I'm happy to say he did wholeheartedly with a great deal of skill and compassion. I am happy to report that from 2004 to 2007, USAID has allocated more than $20 million for fistula prevention and treatment. In 2008 that amount will jump to $30 million, a great start but still not enough.

Nevertheless, more than 3,500 women have had life-changing fistula repair through this program, not to mention the cases prevented through proper obstetric care.

Helping mothers and helping their babies, Mr. Speaker, goes hand in hand. There is no dichotomy. When women receive proper prenatal care they are less likely to die in childbirth, and when unborn babies are healthy in the womb they emerge as healthier, stronger newborns.

I am pleased that the resolution before us today does not endorse in any way whatsoever the cruel ideology that pits women against their babies by suggesting abortion as a means of combating maternal mortality. Women and their babies deserve better than abortion, and their health and well-being is intrinsically linked.

Unfortunately, some abortion activists in recent years have attempted to exploit the tragedy of maternal mortality as a vehicle for their promotion of abortion.

On one trip to Uganda, Mr. Speaker, I met with the head of the Minister of Gender, and we talked about this problem of maternal mortality. And she said, what African women want is essential obstetrical services, not the demise of their unborn babies.

And so I am pleased that the resolution before us does not embrace abortion and, instead, properly links maternal health care and child survival to survival of all children, including the fragile and the vulnerable unborn baby.

Birth is not the beginning of life, Mr. Speaker. It is merely an event in the baby's life that began at the precise moment of fertilization. Life is a continuum with many, many stages. Human rights should be respected from womb to tomb. We need to recognize this biological fact in policy, funding and programming, and treat both mother and baby, unborn baby as well, as two patients in need of respect, love and tangible assistance. We need to affirm them both.

Mr. Speaker, in 1985, I sponsored the Child Survival Fund Amendment that doubled funding to $50 million, and it was adopted into law. The legislation financed global vaccinations, oral rehydration therapy. I think many Members will be a little bit shocked to learn that a leading cause of child death is from diarrheal dehydration and the problems that result from that, while oral rehydration therapy can prevent it simply by getting fluids into that young child. It also focuses on growth monitoring and breast feeding. So I'm happy to say that the resolution also speaks to that issue very, very soundly.

UNICEF recognizes that unborn children and newborn children require care and nurturing, stating, and I quote, ``significant improvement in early neonatal period will depend on essential interventions for the mother and babies before, during and immediately after birth.

According to the latest estimates for 2000 to 2006, at present in the developing world, one-quarter of pregnant women do not receive even a single visit from a skilled health professional, doctor, nurse, or midwife, and only 59 percent of births take place with the assistance of a skilled attendant, and just over half take place in a health facility. That has to be addressed.

And yet the care for the mother and unborn child cannot be restricted to medical conditions and consultations, I should say, as important as they are. For example, in its child survival series, the Lancet identified fetal malnutrition and lower maternal body mass index as likely factors in neo-natal mortality rates and fetal-growth retardation. Just as undernutrition is the underlying cause of a substantial percentage of all child deaths, the mother's nutritional status has a direct bearing on the unborn child's development and the ability to survive, and of course, on her life as well.

While visiting refugee camps in Sudan in the Darfur region, Mr. Speaker, I asked a group of women what is it that they required most, and I asked this at each and every camp, from the Muchar-Kama camp, all of the camps that I visited, they were unanimous. They wanted access to nutritious food so that these nursing mothers could continue to meet the needs of their infants. It was all about the two working together.

If we are to address child and maternal deaths and go even further to ensure the healthy development of the baby through adolescence and the long-term health of the mother, the baby and the mother must be provided adequate nutrition and health care from the earliest stages of life prior to birth.

In sum, the lack of prenatal care, the lack of adequate nutrition during pregnancy, the lack of sterile birthing environments, the lack of clean blood, and the lack of access to essential obstetrical services all contribute to the deaths of women and children. We must do more to save the lives of both, and the Child Survival and Maternal Mortality Initiatives must recognize, embrace, protect, and assist both women and their children, both born and unborn, from all threats including disease, hunger, trauma, and violence.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 331) supporting the goals and ideals of National Women's Health Week, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 331. National Women's Health Week is celebrated annually during the week following Mother's Day. The purpose of this week is twofold.

First, we can use it to raise awareness about the health risks all women face, especially the risks that are unique to women. We use it to learn that, for example, heart disease is the number one killer of women, and half a million women die every year in childbirth.

But the second purpose is so we can take proactive measures to improve women's health. We can use this opportunity to remind our sisters, our mothers, our daughters and our friends to get annual checkups and screenings that are recommended for them at their age. And we can use this opportunity to adopt healthier lifestyles that are essential to preventing chronic disease.

As co-chair of the Women's Caucus, I am very proud of several bills that have been introduced and/or passed out during this Congress to address women's health issues.

Last year, we reauthorized the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program to provide low-income women with access to these essential screenings.

We also passed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. And nearly every woman in the House is cosponsor of the Heart for Women Act, H.R. 1014, as well as H. Res. 1022 regarding maternal health.

But we are also fortunate to have a few good men, actually more than a few good men working with us, such as the ranking member on this bill, and Maurice Hinchey who has taken the lead by introducing this resolution for a few years now, along with Mary Bono Mack.

I urge my colleagues to support the resolution in the House today, and also to have a conversation with the women in their lives about what steps they can take to improve their health.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I'm very pleased to yield 3 minutes at this time to the gentleman from New York, Maurice Hinchey.

I want to thank again the authors of this resolution, Mr. Hinchey, who is here, and Mary Bono Mack, who is also the other coauthor; and to thank the speakers on behalf of this resolution. And again, to remind us all the importance of Women's Health Week, setting aside the time to call attention to the importance of women taking care of their own health and providing the resources so they can do this, because it's women's health at stake, but also, often since the woman is the primary instigator within the family, and often the community as well, of the health of every member, that this serves a purpose that is very important to the health of our Nation.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, as the initiator of this resolution, I would first like to take a moment to thank Chairman Dingell for supporting the resolution and for bringing, being instrumental, rather, in bringing it to the floor today.

I would also like to thank Speaker Pelosi and Mr. Hoyer for their determination in bringing this measure to the floor during National Women's Health Week, despite the very crowded legislative schedule.

I would also like to thank Chairman Pallone and all of the fine members of the Health Subcommittee and their resolve in getting this through the committee and to the floor.

Finally, I'd like to thank my good friends, Congresswoman Lois Capps and Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack for taking the lead with me on this resolution for the third time in a row.

This resolution has the bipartisan sponsorship of 114 Members of this House. Also, the National Council of Women's Organizations fully endorsed this bill on behalf of their 230 member organizations who represent 11 million women across our country.

National Women's Health Week begins annually on Mother's Day. This

year marks the 9th Annual National Women's Health Week.

National Women's Health Week is a week celebrated across America. During this week, families, communities, businesses, government, health organizations and other groups work together to help educate women about steps that they could take to improve their physical and mental health, and to prevent various disease.

This week is also used as an opportunity to educate our population about important health issues that women face.

This resolution recognizes the importance of several things, including preventing diseases that commonly affect women; federally funded programs that provide research and collect data on common diseases in women, and it also calls on women to observe National Women's Checkup Day by receiving preventive screenings.

It is vitally important that women have knowledge about the health risks that confront them, and that they know they can greatly reduce those risks through preventive measures such as a healthy lifestyle and regular medical screening.

Healthy habits should begin at a young age. It is imperative that we take the time to educate young girls on the benefits of exercise and eating right. If these habits start at a young age, it is more likely that they will continue through their life.

It is important and essential we do everything we can to prevent disease. In this spirit, I encourage women to use this week to focus on the necessary checkups and preventive screenings from their health care providers so that they can live long, healthy and productive lives.

I urge full support and passage of this very important measure on behalf of the women of our country.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Tim Murphy) for the leadership that he brings to our Health Subcommittee.

I also want to thank the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps) for her attentiveness to women's health issues. She is an effective advocate.

And to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hinchey) for his leadership on the issue, and for honoring us, all women, with the resolution and bringing the resolution forward to the body as a whole.

Mr. Speaker, as has been discussed, this is House Concurrent Resolution 331, and I do join my colleagues in encouraging all of us, not only to support the resolution, but to be effective spokespeople for what the resolution means; that we move forward, actively, to encourage women to gather the information that they need, because indeed, one of the purposes is to encourage women to seek information, to become health conscious and as the gentleman from New York said, to develop those healthy habits.

And it is not only adult women that we are speaking to, but it is to young girls also as they look at diet, as they look at exercise, as they gather information about how to best take care of themselves. And we do encourage them to seek that information, to get regular checkups, to become knowledgeable of the preventive screenings that will help them to stay healthy and to enjoy a better quality of life.

One thing that we also do is encourage women to have that relationship with their primary care physician, somebody that they can go to to gather the information about how to become knowledgeable on taking care of their bodies.

We've talked a little bit about some of the diseases that affect women, fibromyalgia, depression and, of course, postpartum depression, which concerns us all with the young women and those in the child- bearing years.

Heart disease also and some of the screenings that are important for that. And as the gentleman from Pennsylvania said, there is the website where individuals can access this information.

But we do stand together to promote prevention and awareness for disease management so that the women of this Nation are certainly taking better care of themselves, and are knowledgeable on the diseases that could impair their quality of life and their productivity.

Again, I join my colleagues and thank them for the leadership on Resolution 331. And I appreciate the opportunity to stand and speak on the importance of this, and again, encourage all Members, not only to support it, but to actually be certain that we disseminate this information to our constituents.

Mr. Speaker, I also thank the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps) for her thoughts and input on this bill, which I'm pleased to be a cosponsor today.

Appropriately, National Women's Health Week began this Monday, May 12, the day after Mother's Day, and this past Monday was National Women's Checkup Day. To this end, we encourage all women to discuss with their doctor the importance of regular checkups, self exams.

We also should note that the government has a Web site on this; it's www.womenshealth.gov/whw. There they recommend several tests that women should get on a regular basis.

Also like to mention, as we're focusing on women's health, as my colleague, my friend from California stated, this is also of interest and importance to men. Whether you're fathers or spouses or relatives, it's important to also be supportive of women's health and be supportive of exams they may need to have.

As we focus on this, I want to mention a few other conditions that impact women and the importance of Federal research funding. Fibromyalgia, for example, is a chronic pain illness characterized by widespread musculoskeletal aches, pains and stiffness, soft tissue tenderness, general fatigue and sleep disturbances.

Depression is another very important condition to highlight. Women, during and after pregnancy, for example, are at much greater risk to develop depression, and folks who have a chronic illness are at risk to develop depression.

Oftentimes, we neglect these important symptoms and aspects of health care when meeting with a physician. It is very important to review any concerns that anyone has, that women have when they have their annual exams, such as sleep problems, changes in appetite, mood changes, persistent sadness and other things. These are treatable conditions and not ones to shun in bringing up and discussing openly and honestly with their physician.

We have other things to comment on this, but at this point I will reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn), a leader and advocate on women's health issues.

Seeing as we have no more speakers, we're willing to close at this point and again draw attention and thank Mr. Hinchey for his support on this resolution. I ask all Members to be supportive of it.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.