Cori Bush Testifies Before Congress About 'Racist' Treatment During Childbirth, Faces Backlash For Using Term 'Birthing People'

On Thursday, the U.S. House Oversight and Reform Committee held a hearing examining the maternal mortality and morbidity crisis faced by black people; Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) testified about the “racist treatment” she said she and other "black birthing people" experienced during pregnancy and childbirth. Bush shared her own experience in which her voiced concerns went unaddressed by her doctors. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports black women are more than three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. Lawmakers introduced legislation seeking to combat these health inequities in February; On Thursday, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) announced that she and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) also re-introduced the Mommies Act “to expand Medicaid coverage for birthing people & promote community-based, holistic approaches to maternity care.” Bush's use of the term "birthing people" as opposed to a gendered term caused an online debate over Mother's Day weekend; Bush faced backlash on the right, with voices on the right criticizing Bush for purportedly reducing women to a "function" with her use of the term. Coverage of the story from center- and left-rated outlets tended to focus on the details of Bush's testimony, the mortality statistics, and legislative efforts to combat the issue.