Lauren Underwood

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the NIH IMPROVE Act.

This bipartisan bill, co-led by Congressman Fitzpatrick, will provide consistent funding for research on maternal mortality.

The United States has the highest pregnancy-related death rate of any high-income country, and Black women are dying at the highest rate of all.

The crisis is only getting worse. Over the past two decades, maternal mortality rates have more than doubled, and disparities have worsened.

What is both frustrating and promising is that over 80 percent of these deaths are preventable.

That is why in 2019 I worked with NIH to start the IMPROVE initiative, which stands for Implementing a Maternal health and PRegnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone. Through IMPROVE, we are making smart investments in evidence-based solutions that save moms' lives and advance birth equity.

Over the past 7 years, IMPROVE has invested more than $200 million in lifesaving research that will help end our Nation's maternal health crisis. These investments have already been made all across the country, from Utah to Alabama, Mississippi to Pennsylvania, and to my home State of Illinois. It is already allowing more moms to survive and thrive, and my bill will ensure that this funding keeps flowing to the communities that need it the most.

The NIH IMPROVE Act is one of the 14 bills that make up the momnibus, a comprehensive package of evidence-based, data-driven bills that address every driver of maternal mortality, morbidity, and disparities in the United States.

I know all my colleagues agree that no mom should feel fear or uncertainty about her pregnancy. So, today, I urge them to pass the NIH IMPROVE Act. After that, we are going to keep it going until the entire momnibus is signed into law. Together, we can end this crisis and keep moms alive.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Guthrie and Mr. Pallone for their support for this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the Lactation Spaces for Veteran Moms Act.

Serving veterans is one of the greatest privileges we have as Members of Congress, and we must do everything that we can to ensure not only that they receive the benefits that they have earned through their service and sacrifice, but also that they can access those benefits with the dignity that they deserve.

That is why I am so proud to lead the bipartisan Lactation Spaces for Veteran Moms Act with Congresswoman Ashley Hinson.

As a nurse, I have seen firsthand the benefits of breastfeeding for moms and babies. My bill will ensure that every VA medical center contains a clean, private space specifically designed for nursing and pumping.

Our veterans and their families have given so much in service to our country, and they deserve the same level of support and respect when they seek care.

For VA medical centers to meet the needs of young families, caregivers, and our hardworking VA employees, they need to be equipped with proper facilities.

In the VA medical centers that lack a dedicated lactation space, moms are forced to use unsanitary places like bathrooms or struggle to find a private corner. That is unacceptable. Our veterans deserve better.

That is why we must pass the Lactation Spaces for Veteran Moms Act now.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate a victory for Illinois farmers.

This week, I was proud to vote for the bipartisan Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, which will allow for the sale of E15 ethanol fuel year-round.

Expanding access to E15 is a win-win. It provides our farmers with stable markets, and it lowers costs at the pump for families across the country.

I grew up in northern Illinois where I love being surrounded by the gorgeous corn and soybean fields.

Now, as the proud Representative for the 14th District, I am so glad I got to help pass this historic legislation for our farmers. Now, we need the Senate to act fast and get this bill across the finish line.