Gus Bilirakis: “I thank Ranking Member Bost and Chairman Takano for their leadership. This bill is very important. Madam Speaker, I rise…”

“I thank Ranking Member Bost and Chairman Takano for their leadership. This bill is very important. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Protecting Moms Who Served Act, which I co-lead with my colleague and friend, Lauren Underwood. I also thank Representative Underwood for her efforts on this bill to help ensure that all female veterans have access to the maternal healthcare and support they need and deserve. Our Nation's heroes deserve the best possible care, and this legislation gets us one step closer to achieving that goal. Women are currently the fastest growing group within the veteran population, creating the greatest demand for maternity care ever faced by the VA. I have heard from my local VA medical centers about the growing challenges they face in providing maternity coordination for female veterans. The demand on this maternity coordination process has significantly increased over the past few years, from an average of 50 patients per year to now around 140, featuring a generally higher risk patient population than the private sector. My local veterans medical centers said that the additional program support and additional maternity care coordinators would be crucial in meeting the growing demand, which this bill will provide.…”