Even though the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate of any developed country, federal programs that have been proven to improve maternal health outcomes are often the target of budget cuts.

This week on The Dose podcast, guest host Rachel Bervell speaks with Dr. Jamila Taylor, president and CEO of the National WIC Association, the nonprofit voice of the federal program that provides nutritious foods to more than 6.3 million women, infants, and children. They discuss the potential policy and funding solutions that can advance health for women, especially women of color.

Their conversation ranges from the debt ceiling legislation’s impact on WIC to the pending “Momnibus” package of measures for improving health equity and quality of care for Black mothers.

“Those essential programs are always the first to be on the chopping block,” Taylor says. “That's something that we really need to change in our approach to funding.”