The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee has advanced Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) bipartisan bill, the Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 2025, with broad support. The measure, co-led with Representative Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), now heads to the full committee for consideration.
Ocasio-Cortez used her remarks to highlight both the urgent need for programs like Healthy Start and the bipartisan history behind them. “The United States has the highest rate of maternal deaths among all wealthy countries,” she told colleagues. “We also have the highest rate of infant deaths compared to other high-income countries.”
The Healthy Start program was first created in 1991 under President George H.W. Bush to reduce infant mortality and improve maternal health. It funds locally driven partnerships in areas with the highest need—communities where maternal care may be limited or inaccessible. Today, more than 115 Healthy Start programs operate across all 50 states.
Ocasio-Cortez noted that the program has consistently drawn bipartisan backing because of its measurable outcomes. According to data shared in past reauthorizations, women who participate in Healthy Start are more likely to receive early prenatal care, fathers are more engaged in family health, and babies are born with improved outcomes.
“The last time the program was reauthorized was during President Trump’s first administration,” she said, emphasizing that maternal and infant health transcends partisan politics. “There’s a reason Healthy Start has had such strong bipartisan support. It’s because it works.”
The congresswoman also underscored the stakes. While U.S. infant mortality rates have declined over the past three decades, progress has been uneven and disparities remain. Communities of color and low-income families are disproportionately affected. “If we continue to reduce infant deaths and improve infant and maternal health outcomes, we need Healthy Start programs in our states and districts now more than ever,” she urged.
Following her remarks, the subcommittee voted to move the bill forward without opposition, reflecting its bipartisan appeal.
As the measure advances to the full committee, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle face a familiar test: whether to continue the long tradition of bipartisan support for Healthy Start. For its sponsors, the answer is simple—healthy mothers and babies are not a partisan issue.
Source: Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
