H.Res. 1491

IV
  119TH CONGRESS
  2D SESSION
  H. RES. 1491
  Expressing support for the designation of the week of August 25 through
  August 31, 2026, as ‘‘Black Breastfeeding Week’’.
  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
  AUGUST 27, 2026
  Ms. ADAMS (for herself and Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN) submitted the following
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
  RESOLUTION
  Expressing support for the designation of the week of August
  25 through August 31, 2026, as ‘‘Black Breastfeeding
  Week’’.
  Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and
  Prevention statistics from 2020 to 2021, Black mothers’
  breastfeeding initiation rate was 74 percent compared to
  White mothers’ rate of 85 percent;
  Whereas breastfeeding directly impacts the health and
  wellness of infants and the mothers who care for them;
  Whereas Black mothers have reported greater barriers to
  breastfeeding compared to their counterparts, including
  pain or discomfort while breastfeeding, concerns about
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  breastfeeding in public, insufficient availability of pro-
  motional and educational efforts, and the interference of
  breastfeeding with paid employment and other activities;
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  Whereas some Black mothers have also reported lack of a so-
  cial support system for continued breastfeeding;
  Whereas, in North Carolina, only 70 percent of Black moth-
  ers attempted to breastfeed in 2019 versus 84 percent of
  White mothers and State average of 81 percent of all
  birthing parents in the State who breastfed during the
  same period;
  Whereas Black babies suffer over a 3 times higher infant
  mortality rates than White babies in North Carolina;
  Whereas low breastfeeding initiation rates directly correlate
  to high infant mortality rates;
  Whereas babies who are breastfed for at least 3 months have
  a 38-percent reduced risk of infant mortality annually
  across the United States;
  Whereas Black children are at a greater risk for childhood
  disease, and the inability to exclusively breastfeed for the
  recommended 6 months has been attributed to twice as
  many deaths and 3 times as many childhood diseases in
  Black infants as compared to White infants;
  Whereas 1 in 4 mothers in the United States return to work
  within 2 weeks of giving birth;
  Whereas 60 percent of working mothers in the United States
  who are breastfeeding express breast milk in inadequate
  and unsanitary places on the job;
  Whereas understanding historical and contemporary racial in-
  equities is important to address systemic injustices pre-
  venting families from achieving their breastfeeding poten-
  tial;
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  Whereas if mothers could meet current medical recommenda-
  tions for breastfeeding, it would save the United States
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  economy nearly $13,000,000,000 per year in pediatric
  health costs and premature deaths;
  Whereas ‘‘Black Breastfeeding Week’’ is an opportunity to
  raise awareness about the maternal child health crisis in
  Black communities and the important role that
  breastfeeding plays in improving maternal and infant
  health outcomes;
  Whereas this week is dedicated to increasing awareness of the
  critical role of breastfeeding and the work of Black com-
  munity-led groups in improving family health and reduc-
  ing infant mortality rates in Black communities;
  Whereas a week highlighting a unique and targeted approach
  to address the challenges facing Black mothers and fami-
  lies is critical to eliminating racial disparities in
  breastfeeding and breast cancer survival; and
  Whereas ‘‘Black Breastfeeding Week’’ was created by Kim-
  berly Seals Allers, Kiddada Green, and Anayah
  Sangodele-Ayoka to bring national attention to the
  United States maternal child health crisis in the Black
  community and the important role that breastfeeding
  plays in improving maternal and infant health outcomes:
  Now, therefore, be it
  1  Resolved, That the House of Representatives recog-
  2 nizes—
  3  (1) that systemic and institutional racism cre-
  4  ates greater barriers for Black women committed to
  5  meeting breastfeeding guidelines set out by Federal
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  6  public health officials;
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  1  (2) that these barriers contribute to increasing
  2  health disparities leaving Black mothers and infants
  3  particularly vulnerable;
  4  (3) that disproportionate rates of maternal
  5  mortality and morbidity in the United States and
  6  the alarmingly high rates of maternal mortality
  7  among Black women are unacceptable;
  8  (4) that Congress must fully support and en-
  9  courage policies that ensure Black parents have ac-
  10  cess to affordable health care, allow parents to take
  11  paid leave after the birth of a child, and ensure that
  12  breastfeeding mothers have appropriate places to ex-
  13  press breast milk; and
  14  (5) that, in order to better mitigate the effects
  15  of systemic and structural racism, Congress must
  16  work toward ensuring that Black communities
  17  have—
  18  (A) adequate housing;
  19  (B) transportation equity;
  20  (C) nutritious food;
  21  (D) clean water;
  22  (E) environments free from toxins;
  23  (F) fair treatment within the criminal jus-
  24  tice system;
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  25  (G) safety and freedom from violence;
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  1  (H) a living wage;
  2  (I) equal economic opportunity; and
  3  (J) comprehensive, quality, and affordable
  4  health care.
  Æ
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