[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.
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