Representative Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) is calling on Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) to release Texas’ latest maternal mortality report immediately, stressing that the data is necessary to inform voters ahead of the midterm elections.
In a letter issued yesterday to Gov. Abbott, Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Interim Commissioner Imelda Garcia and Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee Presiding Officer Dr. Carla Ortique, Rep. Crockett demanded that the state release the report before November and questioned the decision to delay its publication until December.
“Texas mothers are dying, and instead of giving us answers, [Gov.] Abbott’s administration is hiding that data, right before the midterms,” Rep. Crockett said.
The Texas congresswoman cites recent research documenting worsening maternal health outcomes following the enactment of a 2021 bill that effectively banned abortion after six weeks of pregnancy.
Following these delays, Rep. Crockett said Texas saw a 70% increase in sepsis-related deaths for pregnant women and a 30% increase in women suffering from severe bleeding after an ectopic pregnancy.
“According to numerous experts, such data suggests that providers are delaying dilation and curettage (D&C) procedures out of fear of prosecution,” she said.
Rep. Crockett has continued to call on DSHS to disclose the data it “appears to be concealing,” having done so in 2019 after the state delayed the release of its maternal mortality data.
“As the first and largest state to implement a strict abortion ban, Texas can offer extensive insight into the effect of abortion bans,” she said.
Rep. Crockett said the state’s decision to withhold the data prevents Texans from understanding the consequences of the abortion ban.
“As the most uninsured state in the country, Texas is already failing women — especially our mothers,” she said. “And burying that truth to silence families' stories does not erase their reality.”
With early voting scheduled for Oct. 19, Rep. Crockett said it is necessary to release this information for voters to make informed decisions.
“Texans deserve the truth. They deserve transparency,” Rep. Crockett said. “And this administration has a legal obligation to give it to them.”
