[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 73 (Tuesday, May 3, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2291-S2292]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PROMOTING MINORITY HEALTH AWARENESS AND SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS
OF NATIONAL MINORITY HEALTH MONTH
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 613, submitted earlier today.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 613) promoting minority health
awareness and supporting the goals and ideals of National
Minority Health Month in April 2022, which include bringing
attention to the health disparities faced by minority
populations of the United States such as American Indians,
Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, African Americans,
Hispanics, and Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I rise today to ask my colleagues to
join me in recognizing April as National Minority Health Month. For
over 35 years, commemorating National Minority Health Month every April
has provided us the opportunity to celebrate the progress we have made
in addressing health disparities and recommit to achieving health
equity. I thank my colleagues, especially Senator Scott of South
Carolina, for working with me to recognize this occasion formally
through a Senate resolution.
Minority groups now make up more the 40 percent of the American
population, and that number will continue to rise. Health disparities
persist among racial and ethnic minorities. These disparities are
plainly visible if we examine the mental health crisis or diseases such
as diabetes and asthma.
Adults and children across all groups continue to experience
increased behavioral health issues, but the burden on minority
populations is heaviest. For instance, for American Indian and Alaska
Native adults the death rate from suicide is about 20 percent higher
than non-Hispanic White population. In 2019, suicide was the leading
and second leading cause of death for Native Hawaiians and Pacific
Islanders and African-Americans aged 15 to 24 respectively. High
school-aged Asian American males were 30 percent more likely to
consider attempting suicide than non-Hispanic White male students were.
This is why I continue to work with my colleagues in the Senate
Finance Committee to improve access to behavioral healthcare for
everyone. I look forward to working with all of my colleagues in the
Senate to get the bipartisan package signed into law and am proud to
continue my work to improve behavioral health, especially through
increased telehealth access.
More than 30 million Americans live with diabetes, but African-
Americans are twice as likely and Hispanics are over 1.3 times as
likely to die from diabetes as non-Hispanic Whites are. African-
Americans are also over three times more likely to suffer from
diabetes-related end-stage renal disease than non-Hispanic Whites are.
African-Americans and Hispanics are also at higher risk of having other
related complications, such as the need for lower extremity
amputations.
Asthma is another disease that disproportionately harms African-
American, Hispanic, and American Indian and Alaska Native peoples.
These groups have the highest asthma rates, hospitalizations, and
deaths. For example, African-Americans are nearly 1.5 times more likely
to have asthma than non-Hispanic White Americans and 5 times more
likely to visit the emergency room due to asthma.
Social determinants of health such as access to transportation,
education, housing, and income play a key role in health and well-
being. According to the Healthy Baltimore 2020 report, the discrepancy
in life expectancy between higher-income and lower-income neighborhoods
within the city is as high as
[[Page S2292]]
20 years--20 years based on one's Zip code. That is unconscionable.
To tackle health inequity, we must understand its underlying causes.
I am proud of the work that the National Institutes of Health--NIH--
based in Maryland, and NIH's National Institute for Minority Health and
Health Disparities--NIMHD--are doing to advance the field of scientific
research into health disparities. The evidence-based research that
NIMHD invests in at institutions throughout the country is expanding
the scientific knowledge base and informing practice and policy to
reduce health disparities. Some recent work of NIMHD has focused on the
prevention, treatment, and management of comorbid chronic diseases, as
well as COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy within communities of color.
COVID-19 has disproportionately affected communities of color,
particularly African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, and American Indian
or Alaska Native people, who are at an increased risk of getting sick,
having more severe illness, and dying from COVID-19. This is why I have
fought for additional outreach and better data to close this gap. As
part of that effort, Senator Menendez and I introduced our legislation,
the COVID-19 Health Disparities Action Act, which would support
targeted and culturally competent public awareness campaigns about
COVID-19 vaccines and preventive measures such as masking and social
distancing.
I am glad to see NIMHD also targeting these issues through the theme
of this year's National Minority Health Month, ``Give Your Community a
Boost!'' which focuses on the continued importance of COVID-19
vaccination, including boosters, as one of the most effective ways to
protect communities from COVID-19.
Accessible and affordable health coverage is key to addressing health
inequities. I was proud to help pass the Affordable Care Act--ACA--
which expanded health coverage to millions of Americans across the
country. The American Rescue Plan built on the success of the ACA and
expanded care to an additional 5.8 million Americans including 181,000
Marylanders.
I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to build on
this progress.
As we recognize April as National Minority Health Month, let us
recommit ourselves to ensuring all Americans have access to affordable,
high-quality healthcare and renew our pledge to do everything possible
to eliminate health disparities and ultimately achieve health equity
for all.
Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed
to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be
considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or
debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 613) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
(The resolution, with its preamble, is printed in today's Record
under ``Submitted Resolutions.'')
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