Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)

Harris, Underwood, Adams, Black Maternal Health Caucus Unveil Historic Legislative Package to Address America’s Black Maternal Health CrisisLAWT News Service

U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA), Representatives Lauren Underwood (IL-14) and Alma Adams (NC-12), and members of the Black Maternal Health Caucus on Tuesday introduced a historic legislative package to address the United States’ urgent maternal health crisis. The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2020 will build on existing maternal health legislation by filling gaps through the nine new bills to comprehensively address every dimension of the Black maternal health crisis. The Black Maternal Health Momnibus makes investments in social determinants of health, community-based organizations, the growth and diversification of the perinatal workforce, improvements in data collection and quality measures, digital tools like telehealth, and innovative payment models. In addition to direct efforts to improve Black maternal health outcomes, the Momnibus focuses on high-risk populations, including women veterans, incarcerated women, and Native Americans.

Harris, Feinstein, Senators Urge Administration to Protect Health Coverage for People with Preexisting Conditions

U.S. Senators Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) on Thursday joined Senator Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and 37 of their Senate colleagues in urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to protect individuals with preexisting conditions by limiting the proliferation of “junk plans” – short-term insurance plans that can exclude coverage for essential benefits and provide no protections for Americans with preexisting conditions.

Harris, Colleagues to Lighthizer: No Trade Negotiations with Brazil Until Bolsonaro Protects the Amazon

U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) on Friday joined Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) and 8 of their Democratic colleagues in urging U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to postpone any trade negotiations with Brazil until President Jair Bolsonaro fully enforces his country’s environmental laws and regulations to protect the Amazon from continued illegal deforestation. In the letter, the senators also called on Lighthizer to swiftly resolve the U.S.-China trade war which has disrupted global trade patterns and driven China to rely increasingly on Brazil for beef and soybeans. As a result, and in contravention of its environmental regulations, Brazil is clearing more of the Amazon for agriculture.