Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers Who Deliver Infants Early Reauthorization Act of 2018

Floor Speech

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Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3029, the Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers Who Deliver Infants Early, or PREEMIE, Reauthorization Act of 2018.

Over the past 3 years, the preterm birth rate in the United States worsened, placing more mothers and babies at risk. Such preterm births are the largest contributors to infant death in the United States and, for those infants who survive, a major cause of long-term health problems throughout their lives.

While this preterm rate in the U.S. is 9.93 percent, mothers and infants in Texas are at even greater risk. In fact, in 2017, the most recent year for which data is available, 10.6 percent of live births were born preterm. The percentage is even greater for African American mothers and infants at 13.6 percent, a rate that is 39 percent higher than the rate among all women in Texas.

This legislation would help combat those negative trends by continuing support for federally supported activities that prevent premature births, such as research and programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as activities that promote healthy pregnancies and preventing preterm birth at the Health Resources and Services Administration.

This reauthorization legislation also requires such efforts to address the determinants that contribute to the health disparities in preterm birth.

I thank Representative Eshoo and Representative Lance for their leadership on this issue.

I encourage my colleagues to support S. 6085 to extend and expand Federal efforts to prevent and address preterm birth.

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