Walden, Burgess applaud subcommittee passage of bipartisan bills supporting maternal health

U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-OR) and U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX), ranking member of the committee’s health subcommittee, on Nov. 13 applauded subcommittee approval of several bipartisan bills aimed at bolstering the health of mothers across the nation.

“I am very pleased that we have worked together to advance the maternal mortality bills in a bipartisan fashion,” Rep. Walden said during Wednesday’s subcommittee markup session, which included four bills addressing public health issues ranging from improving maternal health outcomes, to regulating e-cigarettes, to reforming the citizen petition process at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In a joint statement, Reps. Walden and Burgess said that the bills, collectively, represent a “longstanding, bipartisan commitment” by Energy and Commerce Committee members to improve maternal health.

“The legislation advanced today will help ensure patients have access to quality maternal health services regardless of their zip code, enhance coverage for pregnant and postpartum women in the Medicaid and SCHIP programs, and bolster the training for health professionals caring for expectant or new mothers,” the lawmakers said.

The bills advanced to the full committee by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health were:

• The Helping MOMS Act, H.R. 4996, to enhance coverage for pregnant and postpartum women in the Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance (SCHIP) programs by allowing states to provide the option for one-year of coverage instead of 60 days. The bill was introduced by Reps. Burgess and Robin Kelly (D-IL).
• The Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act, H.R. 4995, which would combine the provisions from both the Excellence in Maternal Health Act, H.R. 4215, to authorize grants for operating new evidence-based programs that deliver integrated services to pregnant and postpartum women, and the Rural MOMS Act, H.R. 4243, to fund the Health Resources and Services Administration to establish rural obstetric networks for improving outcomes in birth and maternal morbidity. H.R. 4995 was introduced by U.S. Reps. Larry Bucshon (R-IN) and Eliot Engel (D-NY).

“We commend our Republican and Democratic colleagues for their dedication to working across the aisle on this critical issue, and look forward to working together to advance these bills through the full committee,” said Reps. Walden and Burgess.