[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 60 (Tuesday, April 5, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H4157]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
                     ALLEVIATING HEALTH DISPARITIES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise to applaud the 
Democrats working with the Biden administration to achieve the best job 
creation record in United States history.
  Together, we have created 7.9 million jobs and seen the largest 
decrease in unemployment in history. In March, the national 
unemployment rate fell to 3.6 faster than expected and reached the 
lowest level since February 2020.
  The United States has now regained 93 percent of the jobs lost during 
the pandemic. There have been particularly strong gains in the 
industries integral to addressing supply chain challenges, including 
manufacturing, construction, transportation, and warehousing.
  Despite strong economic growth and wage gains, global price increases 
make it harder for U.S. workers and families to recover everyday 
expenses. The higher prices deprive households of the full benefits of 
the strongest wage growth seen in years.
  Investing in children and families, workers, and small businesses, as 
the building a better America agenda does, would address the root 
causes of inflation and reduce some of the biggest expenses in our 
households.
  While we are making great strides in ensuring a thriving economy, we 
must also remain committed to ensuring access to healthcare for all 
Americans. There is no wealth without good health.
  While the Affordable Care Act has been critical in addressing the 
healthcare gap, we know Black and Brown and low-income families across 
this Nation are still disproportionately impacted by health 
disparities.
  Allow me to share some daunting data to paint the seriousness of my 
concerns.
  In 2018, approximately 21.5 percent of Hispanic adults over age 20 
were diagnosed with diabetes, compared to 13 percent of White adults 
over the age of 20.
  Hispanic women are 40 percent more likely to have cervical cancer and 
20 percent more likely to die from cervical cancer than non-Hispanic 
White women.
  There are 11 infant deaths per 1,000 live births among Black women. 
This is almost twice the national average.
  Alleviating health disparities will require a deliberate and 
sustained effort to address socioeconomic determinants of health, such 
as poverty, segregation, and environmental degradation.
  Furthermore, regarding mortality health, I plan to vote in favor of 
H.R. 1218, the Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act. This legislation 
will use data mapping to show where high rates of poor maternal health 
outcomes overlap with the lack of access to broadband services to help 
identify where improved access to telehealth services can be most 
effective.
  According to the CDC, severe complications related to pregnancy, 
known as severe maternal morbidity, impact over 50,000 women in the 
United States each year. Unfortunately, Black women are three times 
more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women.
  In my own State, Florida ranks 32nd out of the 50 States in the U.S. 
in terms of the highest maternal mortality rates.
  As we continue to create a more robust economy, we must also address 
health disparities in our Nation, which, in many cases, have led to 
countless premature deaths.

                          ____________________