[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 484 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 484

Addressing the hardships and disparities faced by Black women in order 
               to encourage more inclusive policymaking.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 7, 2023

Mrs. Watson Coleman (for herself, Ms. Clarke of New York, and Ms. Kelly 
of Illinois) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
             the Committee on Oversight and Accountability

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Addressing the hardships and disparities faced by Black women in order 
               to encourage more inclusive policymaking.

Whereas throughout United States history, the country's economy was built in 
        large part upon Black women's diminished power, through unpaid, 
        exploited, and forced labor;
Whereas discriminatory features of the United States labor market and the 
        punitive design of public benefits programs hinder the economic mobility 
        of Black women with disabilities;
Whereas income gaps, wealth gaps, lack of adequate worker protection laws, and a 
        host of other socioeconomic indicators illustrate a system that has been 
        designed to keep Black women without power;
Whereas Black women made up 6.4 percent of the United States workforce in 2020, 
        but represent 10.4 percent of the workers who would benefit from raising 
        the minimum wage to just $15 an hour;
Whereas Black women make between 62 to 64 cents of every dollar made by a White, 
        non-Hispanic man;
Whereas economic insecurity is intensified for Black women, who have little to 
        no wealth to fall back on due to generational inequality and ongoing 
        discrimination;
Whereas guaranteed income, direct cash transfers, hazard pay, an increase in 
        worker power, sectoral worker bargaining, and stronger labor law 
        protection can benefit the economic well-being of marginalized 
        demographics, specifically Black women;
Whereas expanding the child tax credit and earned income tax credit, 
        incentivizing State tax changes, and strengthening the estate tax can 
        assist in centering Black women in tax reform;
Whereas studies show that Black women, whether insured or uninsured, receive 
        worse care by health care professionals, often at the expense of their 
        lives;
Whereas, in 2020, more than 30 percent of Black women relied on Medicaid as 
        their primary source of health coverage;
Whereas Black women not only need access to health care providers that value 
        their identity, but also providers who look like them to improve Black 
        women's access to quality care;
Whereas Black women do not breastfeed at the same rates as their non-Black 
        counterparts and are disproportionately affected by first food deserts 
        and maternity care deserts;
Whereas single woman led households have the highest rates of food insecurity 
        and this disproportionately affects Black women;
Whereas Black women are less likely to have wealth, to own a home, to hold 
        retirement savings, and to receive inheritances and other family 
        financial support;
Whereas Black women have been stigmatized in the American welfare state, which 
        affects their equitable access to government assistance programs;
Whereas Black women have been denied access to safe and affordable housing 
        through the current rental housing market and Federal housing assistance 
        programs;
Whereas racist and sexist Federal policies have denied Black women access to 
        safe and affordable housing in both home ownership and rental markets, 
        rendering them more likely to be cost-burdened and face eviction;
Whereas policymakers must provide robust, permanent, dedicated funding for home 
        and community-based services to protect the right of Black women with 
        disabilities to receive care within their homes and communities;
Whereas 4.7 percent of Black women overall report serious psychological 
        distress, and this rate nearly doubles for Black people living in 
        poverty;
Whereas the school-to-prison pipeline for Black girls must be eliminated and 
        restorative justice in lieu of policing in schools and communities to 
        promote equitable academic success must be prioritized;
Whereas critical legislation, such as the Protect Black Women and Girls Act, 
        establishes a Task Force to examine the conditions and experiences of 
        Black women and girls to identify and assess the efficacy of policies 
        and programs designed to improve outcomes for Black women; and
Whereas the Black Women Best (BWB) framework, as designed by Janelle Jones, the 
        first African-American woman to serve as chief economist at the 
        Department of Labor, offers the blueprint to adopt a more innovative and 
        equitable approach to center the lived experiences of Black women in 
        policymaking: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) acknowledges the Black Women Best (BWB) framework to 
        empower and improve life for all through guaranteed income, 
        expanding child and income tax credit, increasing access to 
        equitable health care and government assistance, prohibiting 
        policing in schools, and prioritizing restorative justice;
            (2) supports the need to use policy frameworks similar to 
        the BWB framework to center the lived experience of Black women 
        in the policymaking process in order to ensure a more equal and 
        just future for all;
            (3) encourages the use of this framework and those that 
        complement it as a guideline to create and implement better 
        public policies to benefit all people, and specifically Black 
        women; and
            (4) considers legislative proposals presented in the 
        Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls March report, 
        ``An Economy for All: Building a `Black Women Best' Legislative 
        Agenda'' to repair the historical disparities that Black women 
        endure and to secure an economy that works for everyone.
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