WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Congresswoman Lois Capps celebrated an important victory in the ongoing effort to address maternal mortality in the United States and abroad.  Late last night the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation introduced by Capps, H.Res. 1022, by a voice vote.  The unanimous vote reflects the broad bipartisan support for the resolution which affirms Congress’ commitment to improving maternal health care at home and abroad with the goal that no woman should die while giving life.

“I was proud to join every single Democratic woman Member of Congress as a co-sponsor of the Capps Resolution,” said Speaker Nancy Pelosi.  “We must promote maternal health and child survival both at home and abroad and I pledge to work with Congresswoman Capps and my colleagues to ensure that the United States makes this commitment to the lives of women and children across the world.”

“The passage of this resolution marks an important turning point in our effort to improve maternal health and reduce the hundreds of thousands of tragic and needless deaths each year,” said Capps, a public health nurse and Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues.  “These deaths in both the U.S. and around the world are heartbreaking and simply unacceptable given that most of them are preventable.  I’m proud that Congress is finally taking this issue seriously, due in no small part to having our first woman Speaker of the House, and I look forward to our work over the next few months and years to improve access to maternal health care, promote health education and increase our investments in effective family planning programs.”

On Tuesday, May 20th Capps participated in a rally and press conference on maternal mortality and fistula featuring several women Members of Congress, an obstetric fistula survivor from Kenya, UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador Geri Halliwell, CARE Ambassador Christy Turlington Burns and over fifty activists for women’s health.  The enthusiasm shared by these wonderful advocates was contagious and helped attract attention to this critical issue in advance of the vote on Congresswoman Capps’s resolution on maternal health.

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Pictured above: (center) Congresswoman Capps meets with Central Coast firefighters to discuss emergency preparedness.