Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 796, the Protecting Moms Who Served Act of 2021, sponsored by Senator Tammy Duckworth. The House companion to this bill, H.R. 958, was championed by the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Underwood) and unanimously passed the House this past May. The Protecting Moms Who Served Act of 2021 will codify the maternity care coordination program that the Veterans Health Administration first established in 2012 and updated in a November 2020 policy directive. This will help ensure that veterans across the Nation receive high- quality, culturally competent healthcare throughout their pregnancies and immediately afterward. The majority of veterans' maternity care is delivered by a contracted network of non-VA community providers. However, many veterans have coexisting medical or mental health conditions for which they receive ongoing care from VA providers. This means it is absolutely critical to ensure pregnant veterans' care is coordinated among all healthcare professionals involved in it. Such information sharing is crucial for patient safety and positive health outcomes--for parents and newborns. In addition to codifying VA's maternity care coordination program, S. 796 will require the Department to provide training for community providers on the unique needs of pregnant and postpartum veterans and on behavioral health conditions related to service in the Armed Forces.…”