Political Quotes

“Madam President, I rise today to introduce the Reach Every Mother and Child Act of 2023, known as the Reach Act. This bipartisan legislation would strengthen the United States' efforts to end preventable deaths of mothers, newborns, and young children in developing countries by 2030. I want to thank Senator Coons for his partnership on this important bill, and I also appreciate the cosponsorship of Senator Durbin and Senator Wicker. Senator Coons and I have led efforts to ensure robust funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development's maternal and child health programming. These programs have been the backbone of the United States'' commitment to helping to end preventable child and maternal deaths globally. Due in part to American leadership and generosity, many lives have already been saved. While progress has been made in reducing maternal mortality rates, recent data suggest that these improvements are slowing. Far too many mothers, newborns, and young children under the age 5 continue to succumb to disease and malnutrition that could easily be prevented. Nearly 300,000 women die annually from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, with 99 percent of maternal deaths occurring in developing nations. In addition, a significant proportion of the deaths of children under the age of 5 occur in the first 28 days after birth, with newborns accounting for nearly 50 percent of all under 5 deaths.…”