[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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