Washington, D.C. - In case you missed it, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik published an op-ed in Watertown Daily Times honoring our brave and hardworking military mothers on Mother’s Day and discussing her efforts to ensure our service members and their spouses have access to reliable maternal healthcare.
Find the full opinion below.
Watertown Daily Times: Honoring Our Military Moms on Mother’s Day
By Rep. Elise Stefanik
On Mother’s Day, we celebrate the incredible mothers and grandmothers in our district and across America. The dedication of our military mothers is notably unique, often taking them far from their families to serve and protect our nation. The strength of our armed forces hinges not only on the bravery of our service members but also on the resilience of their families who face unique challenges and burdens. As Fort Drum’s chief advocate in Congress, I remain focused on ensuring that our service members and their spouses have access to essential resources such as reliable maternal healthcare.
Every expecting military mother deserves access to the highest quality of care for herself and her baby and an environment where she is safe and comfortable. Yet recently, staffing shortages at Fort Drum’s maternal health clinic led to expectant mothers being referred to off post sites for third trimester care. While our incredible North Country hospitals have stepped up to serve our military families as always, this recent challenge highlights the need to continue to work to improve maternal care in the military.
I recently introduced legislation called the Improving Access to Maternal Health for Military and Dependent Moms Act which will address shortfalls in care. This legislation aims to expand access to comprehensive prenatal and postnatal care for service members and their families, ensuring they receive the support they need close to home. As a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, I'm committed to advancing this legislation through this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
I've been committed to supporting military families throughout my time in Congress by advocating for legislation aimed at enhancing their quality of life. In the FY24 NDAA, I secured the largest pay raise for service members in over 20 years, mandated that the Department of Defense (DoD) explore opportunities for local installations to enhance childcare capacity through partnerships with off-installation childcare providers, directed the DoD to streamline cumbersome regulations on childcare facility employees while maintaining the current standard of care, and authorized the DoD to decrease out-of-pocket childcare expenses for military families.
Representing Fort Drum in Congress is one of my greatest honors, and I will continue to prioritize the military families at Fort Drum and across the armed forces to ensure they are supported. As we celebrate Mother's Day, let's reaffirm our commitment to supporting our military families, recognizing the invaluable contributions of military mothers, and honoring their unwavering strength and resilience.
