Acting Republican Leader of the Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) led H.R. 8876, the Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act of 2022, a bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program for five years, to passage on the House Floor.
This bill, which passed the House with a 390-26 vote, increases funding for services that aid new parents and their children from pregnancy through kindergarten with in-home support that has been proven to improve maternal and child health, family safety and stability, child development, and school readiness. It also updates the program to better measure and improve outcomes for families, promotes state accountability, and ensures additional MIECHV funding reaches families in poverty.
“I can’t think of a more fitting tribute to our dear friend Jackie than bipartisan support for something that helps our families in need,” said Ways and Means Republican Leader Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX). “We are supporting vulnerable families and targeting dollars to the neediest communities with increased transparency, and ensuring that, where states see value, the federal government also invests. This bill renews our longstanding commitment to help mothers and babies thrive through pregnancy into the early years of a child’s life and to reduce the maternal mortality rate nationwide.”
“I have seen first-hand how these evidence-based programs improve the lives of vulnerable mothers and children,” said Ways and Means Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Acting Ranking Member Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH). “It is important that we promote these vital programs that benefit our future generations, while adding worthwhile reforms to ensure every dollar is effectively helping families in need. I want to thank Ways and Means Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Chairman Danny Davis and the late Ranking Member Rep. Jackie Walorski for their leadership on this issue. I am honored to continue my dear friend’s work.”
“For years, MIECHV has been a beacon of what’s possible with a little bit of help, and with this legislation, we are not only honoring the service and legacy of our late colleague Congresswoman Jackie Walorski but also putting even more families on a path to success,” Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Richard E. Neal (D-MA) said. “The Jackie Walorski Maternal Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act doubles the federal funding in this proven home visiting program over the next 5 years and will change the lives of countless mothers and children. There’s no reason for the Senate to delay in passing this critical legislation, and I look forward to President Biden signing it into law.”
“Home visiting is a proven program that empowers families and changes the course of countless lives,” Ways and Means Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) said. “This bipartisan bill is aptly named after our late colleague, Congresswoman Jackie Walorski, who loved this program and was deeply involved in crafting this bill before her tragic passing. We shared a deep commitment to expanding and strengthening home visiting for all who need it. I hope my Senate colleagues take this overwhelming passage as the impetus to act as soon as possible. To honor Jackie’s tremendous public service and to improve the well-being of mothers and children across the nation, it’s time to make the Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act of 2022 law.”
“There is no better way to honor Congresswoman Walorski’s memory and service in Congress than by investing in the health and well-being of our nation’s children,” said Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) “Passage of this important legislation will ensure the MIECHV program continues to provide care and resources to new parents and their children for years to come.”
“My dear friend Jackie devoted her life to caring for individuals in need – particularly children. It is fitting that we further her legacy and honor her memory in passing this bipartisan legislation that will reauthorize the crucial Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. Jackie’s servant heart and selflessness continue to inspire us all as we work to help give all individuals a chance to overcome the challenges they face and reach their true potential,” said Energy and Commerce Republican Leader Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA).
“With bipartisan support in the House today, Congresswoman Jackie Walorski’s legacy bill that supports the health of mothers and their children is one step closer to becoming law. The Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act of 2022 is designed to set young families up for success by supporting their well-being with a proven home visiting support program that provides comprehensive services to new moms and babies,” Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health Republican Leader Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) said. “Congresswoman Walorski worked to make a positive difference in Americans’ lives, and her namesake bill would do so as well.”
READ: ONE-PAGER: The Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act of 2022
Read a summary of the legislation HERE, and section-by-section HERE, and find the full bill text HERE.