Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement today in support of Surgeon General Regina Benjamin’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding:
“The numerous benefits of breastfeeding are well-documented – it reduces the risk of illness in infants, reduces the risk of cancer in mothers, and brings down health care costs by the billions. We took a major step forward in promoting breastfeeding last year when we guaranteed nursing moms unpaid break time and a private space to pump breast milk in the workplace as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
“Surgeon General Benjamin’s call to action provides a broad look at what we can do moving forward to encourage breastfeeding among new mothers and improve the health of American children. The Surgeon General’s leadership in promoting breastfeeding has been outstanding and I look forward to working with her, the rest of the Obama Administration, and my colleagues in Congress to continue making breastfeeding a more accessible option for mothers across the country.”
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