Our Chicago: U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly discusses issues her Illinois constituents face

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois Congresswoman Robin Kelly joined ABC7 to speak about multiple issues her constituents are facing.

U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly is co-chair of the Maternity Care Caucus and has introduced legislation to address the maternity mortality crisis.

One issue Kelly addressed was maternal mortality rates.

More than 5.6 million women in the U.S. live in counties with no or limited access to maternity care services according to a new report from the March of Dimes.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention found more than 1,200 American women died of maternal causes in 2021.

Maternal mortality is when a mother dies from a pregnancy related health issue or an existing condition made worse by pregnancy.

Kelly is co-chair of the Maternity Care Caucus and has introduced legislation to address this crisis. She said there's not just one reason.

"It's lack of access, lack of resources, racism, training that people receive," Kelly said. "It's a multitude of reasons and it happens more with Black women. And with Black women, it doesn't matter if they're educated, you're in good shape, you have the resources, you still die more than a White woman with a high school education."

Kelly's district stretches from Chicago's South Side to Danville. It covers urban, suburban and rural areas.

"We've heard stories where people think Black women can take more pain or when women complain to the doc, women in general are not taken as seriously as men," Kelly said. "I think if women had closer access, if there were more healthcare providers around, if we lifted doulas and midwives more, if we diversified the healthcare system. There's been many studies that show you do better when it's someone that looks like you or at least understands the reality of your situation," Kelly adds, "I think there needs to be some differences made in training that healthcare providers get. And I think that women need to be empowered to advocate for themselves and to speak up."

U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly called the gun violence problem in the Chicago area a 'slow motion massacre.'

Kelly spoke to ABC7 about other issues facing her district and the country.

One main issues she spoke about was gun violence, which she has called a "slow motion massacre."

"A lot of times, since I've been in Congress, it's better, but we just talk about the mass shootings," Kelly said. "We don't speak about that everyday, one-on-one shootings, and that's still someone's mother, father, sister, brother that lost their life."

Kelly also addressed Chicago's migrant crisis.