[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 59 (Thursday, April 12, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H3151-H3152]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              COMMEMORATING NATIONAL MINORITY HEALTH MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Illinois (Ms. Kelly) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as chair of the Congressional 
Black Caucus Health Braintrust to commemorate National Minority Health 
Month and to challenge Congress to take bold action to end health 
disparities that continue to plague our communities.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a sad fact that in America your race, class, and 
ZIP Code very much determine how long you will live and how healthy you 
will be; whether you will die of a heart attack in your forties or 
develop type 2 diabetes and lose a limb.
  These three factors speak volumes about your life and health. That is 
just wrong, and it is up to us to change that.
  From cradle to grave, and at every stage in between, people of color, 
low-income people, rural Americans, Native Americans, and first-
generation Americans are sicker, receive less care, have less access to 
care, and, tragically, die sooner.
  In 2010, we took a major leap forward with the passage of the 
Affordable Care Act. This law has started to reduce these disparities 
by increasing access to care, ensuring mental healthcare, expanding 
research, and creating a

[[Page H3152]]

pipeline of doctors and medical professionals from underrepresented 
communities.

  A major result of the ACA has been to cut the excessive risk of 
cancer death in half for African-American men. The same risk factor for 
Black women was reduced by seven points, according to the American 
Cancer Society's 2017 report.
  They clearly state: ``Increasing access to care as a result of the 
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act may contribute to a further 
narrowing of the racial gap across all population groups.''
  However, the ACA is not just fighting cancer. It is improving other 
aspects of care and increasing access to care.
  While the Affordable Care Act has made major strides, disparities 
remain deeply entrenched in our society and our healthcare system 
today.
  Today, I would like to talk about several of them. The first and most 
entrenched is access to care. Far too often, the sickest among our 
neighbors are those with the least access to the care they need. They 
cannot see a provider because they can't afford it, can't get the time 
off work, can't find transportation; or there is simply no care 
available in their community.
  Let's work together to make sure that everyone can get the care they 
need, no matter where they live, whether in a city, the suburbs, or on 
a farm.
  This Minority Health Month, we must also address the challenge of 
mental health being stigmatized in communities of color.
  We know that African Americans are 20 percent more likely to report 
serious psychological distress than their White counterparts, but just 
25 percent will seek care, compared to 40 percent of White Americans.
  Thankfully, there are some great organizations, like New York City's 
First Lady Chirlane McCray's Cities Thrive Coalition, working to 
deconstruct the stigma and improve access to care, but much work 
remains.
  Just like with mental health, another health subset, maternal health, 
shows stark differences between different demographic groups.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a shame and a tragedy that America is the only 
developed nation where women die from childbirth now more than they did 
in the recent past.
  Despite technology and innovation, it is becoming more dangerous to 
have a child, especially for women of color. Growing your family 
shouldn't mean putting your life on the line.
  In the coming weeks, I will be introducing comprehensive legislation 
to start pushing these numbers down.
  Another public health crisis that affects some groups more than 
others is the issue of gun violence.
  Last month, hundreds of thousands of young people and supporters came 
to Washington, D.C., to challenge Congress to act and save lives. 
Millions more marched in their own cities with the same message.
  Like all public health issues, people of color, women, and rural 
Americans are far more impacted by gun violence. In fact, it remains 
the leading cause of death for African-American men from birth to 44.
  We are also tragically seeing spikes in rural and veteran suicides by 
guns, another public health issue that this House has ignored.
  Despite these calls for action and the cold, hard facts, this House 
has yet to act to save lives.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, I just spoke extensively about many problems and 
challenges facing the health of Americans, but I want to close by 
highlighting some recent successes to end health disparities.
  First, this February, this House passed my Action for Dental Health 
Act, a bill that will better target existing resources to more 
effectively deliver oral and dental healthcare to underserved 
communities and populations.
  And finally, I want to praise the new leaders in the medical, 
research, and advocacy professions who are working to end these deeply 
entrenched disparities.
  Next week, I will honor the National Minority Quality Forum's 40 
Under 40, young leaders in the healthcare field who are working to 
support and empower minority communities to live longer, healthier 
lives.
  In closing, Mr. Speaker, I want to challenge this House to follow the 
example of these young people and come together to improve the health 
of all Americans, especially those who have been forgotten for far too 
long.

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