[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 34 (Wednesday, March 14, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H910-H911]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         WOMEN'S HEALTH ISSUES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend my colleagues, the 
cochairs of the Women's Caucus in Congress, the gentlewoman from 
Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. 
Millender-McDonald), for organizing this time to speak on women's 
health issues.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that many members of the Women's Caucus are 
participating today on this important topic.
  As a nurse, I have made access to health care one of my highest 
priorities in Congress, and I think it is particularly important to 
focus attention on women's health.
  Last year, we had a number of victories for women's health. The House 
was able to pass the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act. This 
legislation will allow us to provide the necessary resources for low-
income women to fight these deadly diseases. We were also successful in 
reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act.
  These are two major accomplishments, but we still have such a long 
way to go. Until recently, women's health resources were often 
concentrated on women during their reproductive years. However, with 
the average life expectancy of women now in the United States 
approaching 80 years, it is increasingly clear that we need the 
resources to protect a woman's health at every stage of development.
  Each new life stage poses its own unique developmental demands upon a 
women's body. This is why further research on women's health is so 
critical. Certain diseases and conditions are more prevalent among 
women than in men or affect women differently. Studies show that women 
are suffering from heart disease, breast cancer and depression at 
alarming rates. And as women live longer they are more likely to suffer 
from chronic conditions such as arthritis, diabetes and osteoporosis.
  There are countless initiatives here in Congress that seek to improve 
the health of women. I want to touch on just a few.
  For example, President Bush's recent reinstatement of the Mexico City 
policy is, I believe, a huge step backwards for millions of women 
around the world.
  The Mexico City language imposes a gag rule on other countries who 
wish to use their own reproductive resources for abortion and instead 
use the needed assistance from the United States to assist with family 
planning.
  Family planning saves lives by helping women plan their pregnancies 
for the healthiest and safest time. Of course, in so doing, it reduces 
the need for abortions.
  As my colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green), was just 
speaking about, we need to pass the Patients' Bill of Rights. This 
legislation would guarantee that patients and doctors control critical 
health care decisions, not HMOs. This will improve health care options 
for millions of American women.
  We also need to provide prescription drug coverage for Medicare 
recipients. The majority of seniors are women, and many of them cannot 
afford the skyrocketing costs of multiple prescriptions.
  Proper treatment of depression and mental illness is another 
important issue for women. Depression afflicts twice as many women as 
men.
  As many as 400,000 women each year suffer from postpartum depression 
alone. We need to raise awareness about postpartum depression in order 
to lower the chances that women and their families will suffer from 
this condition.
  Parity for mental health is another important topic and an issue that 
affects women. It is time that health insurance plans recognize mental 
illness as just that, an illness.
  I am so pleased that courageous women like Tipper Gore and the 
gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Rivers), our own colleague here in 
Congress, have worked hard to increase public awareness about mental 
illness and to work on destigmatizing depression.
  Another major concern for health concern for women is hypertension. 
It is a major risk factor in cardiovascular disease, and it is two to 
three times more common in women than in men.
  Mr. Speaker, I am now the cochair of the Congressional Heart and 
Stroke Coalition, and I am working closely with American Heart 
Association to

[[Page H911]]

raise awareness of and response to cardiovascular disease and stroke.
  This spring here in the House of Representatives we will be 
conducting some hearings on the effect of women and heart disease 
together. Increased research on these and other women's health issues 
can and will improve the quality and length of our lives.
  Mr. Speaker, I, along with my colleagues in the Women's Caucus, are 
committed to raising awareness about women's health issues and to 
increase funding for women's health research; and today is an 
opportunity for us to speak on different topics but with a united 
voice. We, colleagues in the Women's Caucus and men as well and Members 
of Congress, are talking about and raising the awareness of issues 
pertaining to women's health.

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