[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 81 (Thursday, May 17, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H4144-H4145]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Illinois (Ms. Kelly) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about 
something critical to each and every person in the House and the 
millions of Americans whom we represent: our health.
  It is no secret that the Affordable Care Act was an important start 
toward increasing access to care and addressing long-lingering health 
disparities that plague our communities. Thanks to the ACA, millions of 
Americans have access to quality, affordable healthcare, many for the 
first time. The impacts have been positive across the country, but 
especially in the African American community, where the uninsured rate 
has been cut in half.
  Mr. Speaker, this is remarkable progress, but we still have a long 
way to go. Globally, the U.S. ranks 24th in healthcare. Let me say that 
again. We, the United States, the richest country in the history of the 
world, ranks 24th when it comes to healthcare. Nations like Slovenia, 
Antigua, and Barbuda outrank us. Mr. Speaker, that is outrageous. We 
can and must do better.
  One area we desperately need to do better in is mental health. One in 
five Americans--that is more than 40 million of us--suffer from a 
mental health condition. Thankfully, the Affordable Care Act mandated, 
for the first time, that mental health services be included in 
coverage.
  But stigma and a persistent lack of access to care continue to 
prevent many from seeking and receiving treatment. It is estimated that 
more than half of those struggling with a mental health condition 
cannot, or do not, receive the care that they need.
  This Mental Health Awareness Month, I want to challenge my colleagues 
to join efforts to end stigma and bring these issues out into the open: 
join a rally, send a tweet on available services in your district, or 
host a roundtable with veterans who are struggling.

                              {time}  1030

  Do something, anything, to help deconstruct the stigma.
  If every Member of this House did something, that is more than 440 
moments to help tear down this stigma that keeps too many struggling 
without care.
  This month, May, is also Lupus Awareness Month. Despite affecting 
more than 1.5 million Americans, lupus is poorly understood and often 
overlooked even by medical professionals.
  It is estimated that a patient with lupus will go 6 years before they 
finally receive an accurate diagnosis.
  More than 90 percent of those living with lupus are women, and a 
disproportionate number are people of color. In fact, African 
Americans, Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans are as much as three 
times more likely to be diagnosed with lupus than White Americans.
  I hope that this House will mark May and Lupus Awareness Month by 
recommitting research, improved awareness, and increased access to care 
to support the 1.5 million Americans living with lupus.
  This month, I also want to draw attention to the fact that more than 
75 million of us suffer from high blood pressure.
  Tragically, more than half--or 38 million--of us do not have this 
condition under control, leading to worsening complications, including 
heart disease and stroke, two of the leading causes of death in this 
country.
  High blood pressure is often called the silent killer, and I know 
that nearly every one of us in this House has a story of losing a 
friend or loved one to stroke or a heart attack.
  Again, as with nearly every disease, African Americans are 
disproportionately impacted. In fact, more than 40 percent of African 
American women and men have high blood pressure.
  Our community often tends to develop this disorder earlier and 
experience it more severely than our White counterparts.
  So this month I challenge everyone to ``embrace the squeeze'' and get 
your blood pressure checked. Knowing is half the battle, and it can 
save your life.
  We have a chance for Congress to tackle these issues head-on.
  Next week, my dear friend, mentor, and colleague, Congresswoman 
Barbara Lee, will introduce the Health Equity and Accountability Act, 
also known as the HEAA bill.
  This bill, that I have personally had the honor of introducing last 
Congress, takes a comprehensive look at where we need to address 
Americans' health disparities crisis.
  I hope that all Members will take a careful look at this important 
bill and join us as cosponsors.
  While many of these health disparities have existed for years, they 
don't need to persist. We can address them, we can solve problems, so 
let's get to it.

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