[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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