Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is working to strengthen Federal disaster response to better protect mothers and young children.
This week, after hearing concerns from local leaders and families across the state, Sen. Ossoff launched a bipartisan inquiry alongside Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS) with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review current disaster response policies that impact mothers and children.
The Senators asked GAO to also provide recommendations on how to update federal disaster response policies to help protect the health and safety of new mothers and young children after a natural disaster hits.
“When a natural disaster strikes, parents are too often left scrambling to figure out how to keep their kids safe, fed, and healthy until their lives return to normal. Pregnant women and new parents with infants face even greater challenges,” Sens. Ossoff and Marshall wrote.
Georgia battles many types of natural disasters each year, including floods, hurricanes, severe storms, tornadoes, and wildfires. In 2019, FEMA identified pregnant women and families with young children as vulnerable populations.
According to a recent study, natural disasters can increase the risk of extreme preterm delivery, low birth weight, and miscarriages for pregnant women.
Last year, Sen. Ossoff successfully led a bipartisan push with Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) to reform of FEMA policies that made it more difficult for Black property owners to access disaster relief.
Click here to read Sens. Ossoff and Marshall’s inquiry to GAO.
