Protect the Family: Restore Funding for Human Flourishing and Maternal Health

I am writing to you today as a concerned constituent to express my deep alarm regarding the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) recent decision to cancel 16 vital Office of Minority Health grants. The loss of $38 million in funding—specifically targeting infant mortality prevention and postpartum care—is a devastating blow to the most vulnerable families in our country and a failure of our national commitment to the next generation. The current administration has frequently spoken about the concept of "human flourishing." If we are to take that commitment seriously, we must acknowledge that true flourishing is impossible without the most basic foundation of human existence: a healthy start in life. There is no higher priority for a society that values the family than ensuring that mothers survive childbirth and that infants are given the care necessary to thrive. The medical evidence is unequivocal: investments in prenatal, postpartum, and neonatal care improve outcomes for families of all backgrounds. These programs do not merely "provide a service"; they prevent the tragedy of maternal death, reduce the lifelong burden of chronic disease, and ensure that children enter the world with the cognitive and physical foundations necessary to become productive, flourishing citizens. While the redirection of funds toward general physical exercise or specific adult health issues may have perceived merits, they cannot come at the expense of the lives of mothers and newborns. To divert resources away from the prevention of infant mortality is not an optimization of health—it is a betrayal of the very families the government claims to protect. I urge you to take immediate legislative action to: 1️⃣Demand the restoration of the $38 million in canceled OMH grants. 2️⃣Support the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act and similar legislation that codifies maternal health as a permanent national priority, shielding these vital funds from arbitrary administrative cancellations. 3️⃣Ensure that budget appropriations for maternal and infant health are protected as essential infrastructure for human flourishing. We cannot claim to support the family while simultaneously withdrawing the resources that keep families whole. I look forward to hearing how you intend to address this crisis and protect the health of mothers and infants in our district and across the nation.