[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 37 (Tuesday, February 25, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1126-S1127]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Black History Month

  Madam President, this is Black History Month, and I want to take the 
time to celebrate a person who made history when it came to healthcare.
  Helen Octavia Dickens was born in Dayton, OH, in 1909, a daughter of 
a former slave. She attended Crane Junior College in Chicago, now 
Malcolm X

[[Page S1127]]

College. In 1934, she graduated from the University of Illinois College 
of Medicine, Chicago, as the only African-American woman in her class 
of 137 students. She was the university's first Black woman physician 
graduate.
  Dr. Dickens became a specialist in obstetrics, eventually moving to 
Philadelphia to work in a birthing center, where she provided care for 
the poor. While there, she broke barriers by becoming the first 
African-American woman to be admitted into the American College of 
Surgeons, receive board certification in obstetrics and gynecology, and 
practice medicine in Philadelphia.
  Her work to help heal and guide women of all ages was nothing short 
of inspiring and her efforts to shine light on the troubling issue of 
health disparities in the United States that continues to this day. Let 
me be specific.
  America has a long history of medical inequality. Sadly, we know that 
history has not ended. From premature births to premature deaths, 
people of color disproportionately bear the brunt of America's troubled 
healthcare system. On average, they live sicker, die sooner, and go 
without needed medical care more often. Communities of color suffer 
disproportionately from HIV, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney 
failure, prostate cancer, and other medical conditions.
  President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law nearly 10 
years ago. It is still one of my proudest votes. Thanks to that law, 20 
million Americans gained health insurance--more than 1 million in my 
home State of Illinois.
  I am proud to say that law has taken strong steps to address racial 
inequalities in healthcare across America. A report last month found 
that the Affordable Care Act helped narrow racial and ethnic 
disparities in healthcare access and coverage, especially in States 
like mine--Illinois--that expanded the reach of Medicaid. Yet we know 
that better is not nearly good enough when it comes to healthcare. 
Nearly half of Black Americans--46 percent--live in the 15 States that 
did not expand Medicaid coverage after the Affordable Care Act was 
passed.
  Another area of racial disparity is maternal and infant health. I 
raise this issue because instead of these drive-by issue votes, which 
Senator McConnell insists on without debate and without amendment, we 
should be addressing an issue that should have bipartisan support. Let 
me be specific about what I mean.
  The United States ranks 32nd out of the 35 wealthiest nations when it 
comes to infant death, infant mortality. Let me repeat that. Our Nation 
ranks 32nd out of the 35 wealthiest nations when it comes to infant 
mortality, and babies of color are the hardest hit.
  If you are an African-American infant born in America today, you are 
twice as likely to die in the first year of birth compared to White 
infants.
  And the mother giving birth? In the United States, African-American 
women are three to four times more likely to die giving birth than 
other women in this country. In Illinois, sadly, they are six times 
more likely to die.
  The United States is one of only 13 countries in the world where the 
maternal mortality rate is worse now than it was 25 years ago. Instead 
of impaling ourselves politically on the issues that divide us, can we 
come together on an issue that could unite us: that we are going to do 
something in America to reduce the infant and maternal mortality, 
particularly among African Americans.
  I have given a lot of thought to what we can do to try to bridge this 
racial divide to help women and babies of color. For the past two 
Congresses, I have introduced a bill with Illinois Congresswoman Robin 
Kelly called the MOMMA Act. The bill would expand Medicaid coverage for 
new moms from 60 days after birth to a full year postpartum to ensure 
adequate care after the child is delivered. The bill would also ensure 
implicit bias and cultural competency training for healthcare providers 
to help address health disparities in communities of color and increase 
access to doulas.
  We are simply not doing enough to correct this injustice and save the 
lives of new moms and babies across the country. Instead, Senate 
Republicans are pushing two anti-choice bills this day that will do 
nothing--nothing--to help improve maternal and infant outcomes in 
America nor to help address racial disparities that currently exist. If 
they actually wanted to save and improve the lives of new moms and 
babies, they should consider passing legislation like the MOMMA Act, 
which I have just described. I am going to try to call this to the 
floor this afternoon. Wouldn't it be a breath of fresh air in the U.S. 
Senate if, on a bipartisan basis, we could agree to do something about 
this public health crisis affecting infants and mothers across America?
  The fact that we rank so low in the world standings of safety when it 
comes to delivering a baby among African-American parents in this 
country is just unacceptable and unforgivable. Can we muster the 
courage to stop the political shootings here on the floor, this drive-
by shooting of political issues, and instead address an issue which 
truly is a life-and-death matter that we all should agree on? The 
Republicans have a choice this afternoon to join me in this effort.
  I am proud to stand here today and to honor Helen Dickens, the 
African-American doctor I described earlier who passed away in 2001. 
Her fierce advancement in the medical field helped pave the way for 
future doctors, particularly women of color, and led to important 
discoveries in women's health.
  Today, much of what we know about the importance and effectiveness of 
annual OB/GYN visits was influenced by Dr. Dickens' work. With a grant 
from the National Institutes of Health, she helped train general 
practitioners to give women the exams they need to note early detection 
of cervical and uterine cancer. In 1982, the University of Illinois 
honored Dr. Dickens with the Distinguished Alumni Award.
  While the United States has a troubled past in addressing racial 
inequality, we need to learn from the mistakes of the past to ensure 
that all Americans receive the healthcare they deserve in the future.
  Dr. Helen Dickens and many other African-American pioneers give me 
hope for a brighter future.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.