Page 40 - Lauren Lolo Spencer Issue

As a senator, Markey has served on various committees, including the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; the Committee on Foreign Relations; and the Committee on Environment and Public Works. He has been a vocal and active member of these com- mittees, working on legislation and conducting over- sight on a wide range of issues within their jurisdictions.
Markey: Climate change is a threat to everyone’s health, including pregnant people and babies. No expecting par- ent should have to worry about their health in pregnan- cy. We know that extreme heat and pollution, made worse by the climate crisis, pose a threat to maternal and infant health. Hotter heatwaves and worsened wild- fires are linked to eclampsia, miscarriage, preterm births, and lower birthweights. If we fail to address these risks, health outcomes will only worsen. Climate justice means healthy pregnancies and healthy children. The Protecting Moms and Babies Against Climate Change Act will ensure the federal government better supports community-based efforts that promote mater- nal and infant wellbeing, especially in communities of color where families are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis. Health professional schools will have the resources and funding necessary to protect vulnerable mothers and uphold quality maternal care.
ABILITY's Chet Cooper spoke with Sen. Markey about the numerous policies and legislation he has worked on over the years, as well as the significance of the legisla- tion regarding people with disabilities.
Markey: Everyone deserves access to quality health care and to be protected from the climate crisis. Nine in ten Americans live in a county impacted by a climate disas- ter in the past decade. Nearly one in three Americans today lack access to primary health care. COVID-19 taught us that our health system is not ready for climate emergencies. We have an obligation to both protect communities from climate disaster and to expand health care access. We need a Green New Deal for Health.
Chet Cooper: Was there a moment you became aware of disability issues?
The Green New Deal for Health is our roadmap to build a more just and equitable health care system—one that puts the wellbeing of our workers, patients, and planet first. We can build a health care system that protects people AND the planet. We have to decarbonize the health care sector in this country, which accounts for more than eight percent of our greenhouse gas emis- sions, and we need to provide Medicare reimbursement to help people with disabilities install lifesaving, resilient home infrastructure to protect their health in extreme weather and blackouts. We know that a green health care system is a resilient health care system that protects and ensures access to care.
Senator Ed Markey: Growing up in Massachusetts everyone knew of Perkins School for the Blind. But when I was a member of the House of Representatives, Perkins was in my district. I learned from its students, educators, administrators—and from communities across my district—of the importance of prioritizing justice and accessibility at the heart of lawmaking. Dis- ability justice is health justice. It’s racial justice. It's eco- nomic justice. The work of centers like Perkins is a liv- ing reminder that we have more to do to uphold the rights of people with disabilities.
At the turn of the century, I wrote the defining telecom- munications laws on the books. I knew then that, to build a future connected by the internet, we could not leave people with disabilities unplugged from the con- versation. Everyone deserves the opportunity to partici- pate fully in the economic, social, cultural, and political
Better access to care means people are more resilient to an intensifying climate crisis, and when a crisis hits – like a pandemic or storm – they will have somewhere to go. We have to fight to keep hospitals in underserved communities from closing their doors. The Green New
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life of this country. I continue to be inspired by the sto- ries I hear from constituents and their families. Their futures have been made brighter by the tireless work of accessibility and disability justice advocates. I know the work is not yet finished, but the progress we have made encourages me in the essential fight for disability justice for all.
Cooper: Can you briefly describe 'The Protecting Moms and Babies Against Climate Change Act'?
Cooper: Does this connect with the Green New Deal for Health?