Harris campaign: Rep. Moore, State Sen. Johnson discuss Black maternal health care, underscore Vice President Harris’ strong commitment to maternal health

Today in Milwaukee, Congresswoman Gwen Moore and State Senator LaTonya Johnson joined local medical professionals to discuss the stakes of this November’s election for the Black maternal health crisis. This event comes on the heels of Vice President Kamala Harris and her newly picked running mate, Governor Tim Walz’s tour of the battleground states this week.

Donald Trump made the Black maternal health crisis worse as president. After Trump’s hand-picked Supreme Court justices overturned Roe, states across the country enacted extreme abortion bans that put women’s lives at risk and threaten doctors with prosecution just for doing their jobs. Trump’s Project 2025 agenda would make the delivery room even more dangerous for Black women by restricting reproductive freedom nationwide.

“Vice President Harris has actively led the work on addressing the Black maternal health crisis. She released a blueprint to address the crisis, which includes protection from unexpected medical bills and expanded access to doulas and midwives,” said Congresswoman Moore. “While Donald Trump was in office, he made things worse. Trump’s hand-picked Supreme Court justices overturned Roe v. Wade, a move that has affected women nationally. Trump is ‘proud’ of overturning Roe and if re-elected he will enact his Project 2025 agenda, which includes a national abortion ban. He has made the delivery room even more dangerous for Black women.”

“We all know that we are in the middle of a maternal health crisis, especially for African American women,” said state Senator LaTonya Johnson. “Vice President Harris has led the charge to improve access not only that’s critical to reproductive health, but she’s also helped lower the cost for new mothers while Donald Trump and JD Vance are just taking us backwards. Wisconsin deserves leaders in the White House who will tackle this issue head on.”

Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than their white counterparts. While in office, Vice President Harris has made this crisis a priority by launching the first-ever White House Maternal Health Day of Action and leading the charge to expand postpartum Medicaid coverage. Additionally, the Biden-Harris administration strengthened the Affordable Care Act, invested in rural health care, protected new mothers from unexpected medical bills, and expanded access to doulas and midwives.