On June 11, Representative Carolyn B. Maloney (NY) and Senator Jeff 
Merkley (OR) introduced the Breastfeeding Promotion Act in both houses 
of Congress (H.R. 2819 / S. 1244). This is the first time the bill has 
been introduced in the Senate.

Forty-seven states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the 
Virgin Islands already have enacted various laws protecting 
breastfeeding mothers, but they are not uniform and most are not 
comprehensive. Ask your Representative and Senators to co-sponsor the 
Breastfeeding Promotion Act to provide a unified national policy to 
keep mothers, their children, and their communities healthy.

**TAKE ACTION** by going to the US Breastfeeding Committee website 
below and telling your Representative and Senators to co-sponsor the 
Breastfeeding Promotion Act:
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5162/t/6359/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1697

We know that breastfeeding is good for mothers, babies, and society. 
The medical evidence shows that NOT breastfeeding increases the baby’s 
risk of infections, diarrhea, SIDS, obesity, diabetes, asthma, and 
childhood leukemia, and increases the mother’s risk of breast and 
ovarian cancers and diabetes.Breastfeeding also has significant 
economic and environmental benefits for families, employers, and 
society.

Given all of these benefits, all major medical authorities (including 
the Department of Health and Human Services), recommend that babies get 
no food or drink other than breast milk20for their first 6 months and 
continue to breastfeed for at least the first 1-2 years of life. But 
mothers need more support: only 12% of U.S. mothers are exclusively 
breastfeeding at 6 months, and only 21% are still breastfeeding at 1 
year.

Interest in breastfeeding is at an all-time high: 77% of women 
breastfeed their infants at birth. But breastfeeding rates drop rapidly 
after hospital discharge. More than 50% of women with infants less than 
one year old are in the labor force. Employed mothers are more likely 
to stop breastfeeding early if they do not receive the support they 
need in the workplace.

Together we can change this! Tell Congress to support the Breastfeeding 
Promotion Act to provide the support mothers need!

WRITE TO CONGRESS:
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5162/t/6359/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1697

The Breastfeeding Promotion Act (H.R. 2819, S. 1244) includes five 
provisions:


Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect breastfeeding women from 
being fired or discriminated against in the workplace.

Provides tax incentives for businesses that establish private lactation 
areas in the workplace, or provide breastfeeding equipment or 
consultation services to their employees.

Provides for a performance standard to ensure breast pumps are safe and 
effective.

Allows breastfeeding equipment and consultation services to be tax 
deductible for families (amends Internal Revenue Code definition of 
"med
ical care").

Protects the privacy of breastfeeding mothers by ensuring they have 
break time and a private place to pump (applies to employers with 50 or 
more employees, see text of legislation for details).


You've been making great strides at the state level, and we know we can 
do it at the national level too! With a few clicks of the mouse today, 
you can help build critical support for a groundbreaking bill to 
protect, promote, and support breastfeeding in the United States.

We look forward to continuing our important work together to improve 
the health of mothers and babies, and thank you in advance for your 
support!

United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC)
The United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) is an independent 
nonprofit coalition of 41 nationally influential professional, 
educational, and governmental organizations. Representing over half a 
million concerned professionals and the families they serve, USBC and 
its member organizations share a common mission to improve the Nation's 
health by working collaboratively to protect, promote, and support 
breastfeeding. For more information about USBC, visit 
www.usbreastfeeding.org.

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