1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

The CDC released its report on maternal mortality in the U.S. The good news is that in 2023 it declined from 2022, a little. It is still far higher than any of our peer industrialized nations. 18 women die in this country for every thousand births. It comes to about two women dying every day from preventable causes. They don’t have health insurance, they can’t afford to go to a doctor. They can’t take off time from work. And of course, in 18 states reproductive healthcare is illegal. In case you thought that race and economics don’t matter, the rate of death for Black women in the U.S. is over 50 deaths for every hundred thousand births and it is getting worse. In those peer countries the rates are way smaller because everyone can do to the doctor. Here are a few Denmark and Switzerland are at 2.7 Spain 3.3 Sweden 3.5 Japan 3.8 Germany 3.9 France 7 UK 12.8 Look, maternal mortality is really the canary in the coal mine warning us that the healthcare system we have is failing. We are letting people die who have no business dying. You can ignore this message but it is in your hands to stand up and tell your constituents and your colleagues in Congress that women are dying needlessly and they can fix it. This is where universal healthcare like HR 3069 really matters. That is the vastly improved Medicare For All Of Us Act. While I have your attention you should know that 25 million women of childbearing age can’t get reproductive healthcare because abortion is greatly restricted or a felony in 19 states. Pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, as the Supreme Court Recommended and restore a woman’s right to her body. One last thing. Remove the Date from The Equal Rights Act and enact it. Women Are equal, you know, how about equal treatment by their government. Here is that CDC report I mentioned https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/maternal-mortality/2023/Estat-maternal-mortality.pdf And here are the maternal mortality statistics for you, https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2025/11/health-at-a-glance-2025_a894f72e/full-report/maternal-and-infant-mortality_4379b33b.html