[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 53 (Wednesday, April 27, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H2555]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CLOSING THE HEALTH CARE DIVIDE: PRINCIPLES FOR ADDRESSING RACIAL AND 
                       ETHNIC HEALTH DISPARITIES

  (Ms. SOLIS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. SOLIS. Madam Speaker, today I rise to announce the adoption of 
the Democratic principles that will be unveiled today that will seek to 
eliminate racial and ethnic health care disparities.
  The community that I represent is multicultural. Sixty percent of the 
residents are Latino, 20 percent are Asian Pacific Islander, and 40 
percent of those residents in my district were born outside of the 
United States, and many of them cannot afford to pay for medical 
coverage.
  Unfortunately, our health care system is not meeting the needs of all 
these people, who in most cases are children.

                              {time}  1015

  For racial and ethnic minorities, as for most all communities, the 
lack of health insurance is a major barrier in quality health care. In 
our Nation, there are over 43.3 million people who do not have any form 
of health care coverage.
  A staggering 1 in 3 Latinos in this country are uninsured. Actively 
challenging the racial and ethnic inequalities affecting all branches 
of our health care system is key to helping the Latino community 
achieve better health care.
  These Democratic principles address the many health disparities 
plaguing our communities. I strongly support these principles and stand 
united with my colleagues to end racial and ethnic health disparity. We 
must make this a national priority for our country.

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