Kaine urges Trump administration to prioritize maternal health, RFK Jr.’s office tells 8News it’s a ‘top priority’

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Virginia Democrats are criticizing the Trump administration for cutting funding and staffing from programs aimed at fighting maternal mortality.

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and a handful of other Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., urging the Trump administration to look closely at what programs it's defunding and the potentially harmful impacts cuts could have on mothers and babies.

"A child that loses [their] mother in the first year ..." Kaine said when asked about the importance of maternal health on Thursday, May 8. "The trajectory of their life is going to be so dramatically different."

In 2022, nearly 33 mothers died in Virginia per every 100,000 births, compared to about 22 mothers nationally. That makes Virginia's maternal mortality rate about 47% higher than the country's average.

"We've done some things at the federal level," Kaine said. "[Like] expanding the Medicaid coverage of ... low-income moms who deliver babies in-hospital."

However, federal spending and staffing cuts have recently halted maternal health programs, like the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.

This measure represents just one element of the Trump administration's scale back across health-oriented governmental agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These cutbacks amounted to the tune of $3 billion.

"[RFK Jr. is] even laying off some of the mandated, legally mandated data collection that would give us the information we need to manage this problem," Kaine said. "If you're not measuring something, you're never going to improve it."

According to the CDC, more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. Lawmakers demanded that Kennedy be open and transparent about agency terminations and how they impact maternal health research and investment.

Secretary Kennedy's team responded to 8News's request for comment with the following statement:

"Maternal health programs remain a top priority for President Trump and Secretary Kennedy. As part of HHS' efforts to streamline operation, these programs will continue under the Administration for a Healthy America."

Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) has been a fierce advocate for maternal health. He launched an updated "Maternal and Child Health Dashboard" in April. It's geared toward easing accessibility to critical data for mothers during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

His task force surrounding this specific topic is set to meet on Friday, May 9.