BILL: Should We Protect Families From Climate Change? - Protecting Moms and Babies Against Climate Change Act - H.R.3302
Tell your reps to support or oppose this bill
The Bill
H.R.3302 - Protecting Moms and Babies Against Climate Change Act
Bill Details
- Sponsor: Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) on May 15, 2023
- Committee: House - Energy and Commerce
- House: Not yet voted
- Senate: Not yet voted
- President: Not yet signed
Bill Overview
- Makes robust investments in initiatives to reduce levels of exposure to extreme heat, air pollution, and other environmental threats to pregnant people, new mothers, and infants. Pregnant women, for example, are at heightened risk from extreme heat.
- Highlights the impact of pollution and climate change on women and babies. Research on over 32 million births in the U.S. found that “exacerbation of air pollution and heat exposure related to climate change may be significantly associated with risk to pregnancy outcomes in the U.S."
- Is a pillar of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, which seeks to end racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes, led by Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Representative Underwood. Minority women are disproportionately impacted by adverse health outcomes related to pollutants.
- Currently endorsed by over 180 organizations.
What's in the bill?
Invests in community-based programs
- Creates a federal grant program to invest in community-based programs to identify and address climate change-related maternal and infant health risks, particularly in communities of color.
Develops comprehensive strategies and research protocols
- Establishes a National Institutes of Health consortium to advance research on climate change and maternal & infant health.
- Develop a comprehensive strategy to identify and designate climate change risk zones for pregnant and postpartum people and their babies.
Provides funding for education
- Provides funding to schools to specifically prepare healthcare workers to address climate change-related risks for pregnant women, mothers, and infants.
What the Sponsors Are Saying
“Climate justice is a matter of reproductive justice. We must ensure families and health care providers have the resources and support they need to protect the health and wellbeing of all parents and babies across the country as they face extreme heat, air pollution and the worst of the climate crisis."
“Climate change has a significant impact on reproductive justice and maternal health. As we strive to address the racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes, we must also invest in community-based programs and health professional schools, so we can mitigate the harmful impacts of climate change-related risks on vulnerable mothers and babies."
“The evidence is clear: extreme heat, air pollution, and other effects of climate change are endangering moms and babies, and we need to take action."
Tell your reps to support or oppose this bill
—Emma Kansiz
(Photo Credit: Canva)
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Even if you wanted to, how would you protect mothers and children from climate change and not protect everyone else. Easily the dumbest bill I've seen in a while.
Special populations (young, elderly, pregnant, comorbid conditions) are always most vulnerable whether it's extreme weather, infections like COVID, smoke from fires, etc and will end up in emergency rooms 1st. They are the canaries in the coal mine. How we as a society protect them says a lot about who we are or aren't.
"Those at greatest risk for heat-related illness include infants and children up to four years of age, people 65 years of age and older, people who are overweight, and people who are ill or on certain medications"
"Groups most at risk to heat include, but are not limited to: children, older adults, people experiencing homelessness, people with pre-existing conditions, people with disabilities, indoor and outdoor workers, emergency responders, incarcerated people, low income communities, pregnant people, athletes, and more."
https://usafacts.org/articles/how-many-people-die-from-extreme-heat-in-the-us/
https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/faq.html
https://www.heat.gov/pages/who-is-at-risk-to-extreme-heat
Not just mothers and children, ALL of us need help from climate change!
I wonder if this was written with the pro-life crowd in mind? I would love to see this passed & then expanded to include all of us!
I suffer from a neuromuscular disease and heat is debilitating for me. Summers are getting longer & hotter. For anyone suffering from conditions affected by heat, this causes stress & anxiety which makes the conditions worse. Air conditioning & medical costs go up. It's a horrible cycle. In the past, I could escape to the mountains in 105+ degree weather. However, the mountains air is now hot, too.
Representatives,
My family and I most strongly urge you to support H. R. 3302, To protect Moms and babies against climate change, and for other purposes.
Hopefully, this bill will open the door to provide necessary climate change relief for the nation's senior citizens.
We want Investment in community-based programs. We need a federal grant program to invest in community-based programs to
1. Identify and address climate change-related maternal and infant health risks, particularly in communities of color.
2, Develop comprehensive strategies and research protocols
3, Establish a National Institutes of Health consortium to advance research on climate change and maternal & infant health.
4. Develop a comprehensive strategy to identify and designate climate change risk zones for pregnant and postpartum people and their babies.
5. Provide funding for education
Provide funding to schools to specifically prepare healthcare workers to address climate change-related risks for pregnant women, mothers, and infants.
Moreover, in addition to the provisions of this bill, it is imperative that we work with representatives across America to develop methods to subsidize the continuously rising costs of electric power. By doing so, we can alleviate the financial burden on all Americans. The urgency in addressing this issue is fueled by the devastating effects of natural disasters such as Wild Fires and Heat Domes, which now pose a constant threat to our nation and harm our fellow citizens.
Best Regards.
Seems like common sense, especially for people who claim to care about a fetus' right to life.
Actually, it's a pretty savvy move. I'll be curious to see how the Republicans spin this so they can keep being anti-abortion and also anti-environment.
Babies and Mothers in the worldwide on our Earth should be protected from any harms ways resulting to any unhealthy, harmful and unsafe environments like air pollution, water pollution and other harmful health effects and dread diseases in situation as there are climate changes and global warming impacting on our humankind and our animal kingdoms on our Earth. Our Earth still needs to be saved by developing the renewable energy resources and other clean energy and environmentally friendly technologies in advanced technologies in our worldwide community on our Earth with our cooperation in 21 st Century and beyond for our future in our next generations. We should take on action in our cooperation.
How about a climate bill that protects everyone? I'm not opposed to protecting Mmoms and babies, but what about the rest of us? I also recognize that such a bill would help protect all of us to some extent.
Yes, since all politicians claim to care about mothers and their babies, then we should do all we can to ensure the health of mothers and their babies as our climate becomes increasingly hostile with extreme heat, flooding, pollution, and fires.
I would like to see all members of Congress on the record on this so we see them demonstrate their care for babies, especially.