[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 40 (Monday, March 7, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H1321-H1322]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RACIAL HEALTH DISPARITIES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 4, 2021, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Brown) is recognized 
for the remainder of the hour as the designee of the majority leader.
  Ms. BROWN of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman 
from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) and also the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Torres) for hosting this Special Order hour. I would like to thank my 
sister Chair Beatty and all my Congressional Black Caucus colleagues 
for their continued work to shine a spotlight on racial health 
disparities.
  Dr. Martin Luther King once said, ``Of all the forms of inequality, 
injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane.'' Madam 
Speaker, what was true in Dr. King's time continues to be true in our 
own. Communities of color have long experienced inadequate access to 
healthcare, housing, healthy food, and economic opportunity.
  These inequalities independently, and working together, increase the 
prevalence of a host of dangerous health conditions, including 
diabetes, asthma, obesity, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
  One of the most shocking examples of health inequity is our Nation's 
maternal and infant mortality crisis. Infants born to Black mothers are 
nearly twice as likely to die compared to those born to White mothers. 
Continuing after birth, minority Americans face far higher rates of 
illness and death from an array of conditions.
  And what does this lead to, you might ask? Well, I am glad you did. 
Black Americans have a life expectancy that is 4 years--I repeat, 4 
years--shorter than White Americans.
  The COVID pandemic's disproportionate impact on minority Americans 
exacerbated and exposed these disparities and the underlying 
inequalities driving them. Black and Brown Americans have faced far 
higher rates of hospitalization and death during the pandemic, and a 
growing body of research confirms what we have suspected--no, what we 
have known, what we have known for years--and that is there is an 
undeniable link between historical racism and the present-day medical 
health problems Black Americans face.
  Health disparities that disproportionately impact Black Americans, 
from heart disease to maternal and infant mortality, are not merely an 
aberration. No, they are a direct result of structural, systemic, and 
institutional racism that has been passed down from generation to 
generation.
  To build a healthier America for all, we must address the 
generational injustices that drive the racial inequities we continue to 
see today. That is why I was proud to declare racism as a public health 
crisis as a county council member, and that is why I am proud to work 
today with my Congressional Black Caucus colleagues to improve health 
outcomes for minority Americans and to address injustice in healthcare 
and throughout our society.
  As Dr. King said, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice 
everywhere. That is our power and our message.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne), 
my friend.

                              {time}  2000

  Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio for those 
wonderful remarks and her continued leadership here in the House of 
Representatives.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss health equity disparities in 
America. Today, American minorities do not get the same quality of 
healthcare as our White counterparts, and it causes too many of them to 
die needlessly every single day. It is a problem that we must solve 
immediately.
  The numbers tell the story. African Americans are 24 percent more 
likely to die in this country than White Americans.
  The average life expectancy for a White American male is 75. For 
Black American males, it is about 71.
  African Americans between 18 and 49 years old are twice as likely to 
die from heart disease than our White counterparts.
  African Americans between 35 and 64 years old are 50 percent more 
likely to have high blood pressure than our counterparts.
  One out of every five African-American deaths could have been 
prevented if they received the same level of healthcare as White 
Americans.
  This should not be a surprise to anyone. Research shows that Black 
Americans receive less and lower quality care

[[Page H1322]]

than White Americans for a variety of ailments.
  One study of 400 U.S. hospitals found that African Americans with 
heart disease received cheaper and older treatments than White 
Americans, not the newest technology available. They were less likely 
to receive coronary bypass operations. If they were lucky enough to 
receive surgery, they were discharged earlier regardless of post-
surgery health conditions.
  More than that, African-American women are less likely to receive a 
mastectomy or radiation therapy if they are diagnosed with breast 
cancer.
  These disturbing facts are just part of the reason we need the Health 
Equity and Accountability Act. It would invest in solutions to make 
sure that all Americans had access to quality healthcare. It would help 
diversify our country's medical workforce to improve the care in 
marginalized communities. And it would eliminate the gaps in medical 
insurance coverage, particularly for Medicare and Medicaid recipients.
  This is not all we must do. I am working diligently to improve the 
health disparities in how we treat colorectal cancer and limb 
amputations in this country. Colorectal cancer is the second-highest 
cause of cancer deaths and the fourth-highest cause of new cancers 
nationwide. This year, an estimated 150,000 Americans will be diagnosed 
with colorectal cancer. More than 52,000 people will die from it.
  It is an even greater problem in minority communities. African 
Americans are 20 percent more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal 
cancer than White Americans. They are more likely to die from this 
deadly disease.
  Yet, colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer 
if detected early. That is why I am taking action to save lives from 
this dreaded disease.
  In the 116th Congress, my Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer 
Screening Act was signed into law. It allows Medicare to cover 
procedures to remove cancerous growths, or polyps, during routine 
colorectal cancer screenings, called colonoscopies.
  In addition, I introduced the Colorectal Cancer Payment Fairness Act 
to provide this new coverage by the end of 2023.
  We must introduce more legislation and take more actions to encourage 
more colorectal and other cancer screenings and save lives.
  Another area of health disparity is limb amputations, specifically 
limb amputations related to peripheral artery disease, or PAD. It is a 
disease of the arteries that is related to conditions that cause heart 
attacks. It can cause blockages in the arms and legs that could lead to 
amputations.
  There are more than 200,000 PAD patients who lose limbs to this 
disease every single year. It is even worse in minority communities, as 
usual.
  African Americans are three times more likely to have a limb 
amputated than other Americans. These patients are less likely to 
receive the proper screenings and treatment for PAD compared to White 
patients.
  Too few doctors who serve minority communities even know about PAD, 
so they miss the warning signs in patients that could have prevented 
amputations. But when they understand PAD, doctors can order a vascular 
screening and target it specifically.
  I cofounded the bipartisan Congressional Colorectal Cancer Caucus and 
also the bipartisan Congressional PAD Caucus to create more awareness 
of these diseases.
  Awareness is key, but we must do more to close the gap in healthcare 
coverage and treatment. We must give all Americans access to the best 
medical care. It will save thousands of lives every year in America, 
and it is simply the right thing to do.
  Ms. BROWN of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Payne for those 
remarks.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________