[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5945]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             RECOGNITION OF NATIONAL MINORITY HEALTH MONTH

  (Mr. BERA of California asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BERA of California. Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure of being 
cochair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus on 
Healthcare with my colleague from California, Representative Barbara 
Lee, who happens to be here in the Chamber as well.
  I'd like to take this opportunity to recognize National Minority 
Health Month. Despite medical advances that save many lives in our 
country, there's been limited progress in ending the racial and ethnic 
disparities in health.
  Groups like Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders 
have higher rates of diabetes, certain types of cancer and obesity, 
conditions that are expensive to treat and have lasting consequences.
  In my district of Sacramento County, we have a large Hmong 
population. Some cancer rates in the Hmong are 16 times higher than in 
the White population, and their cancer is much more likely to be 
diagnosed at a later stage.
  That's one reason why this month I introduced the bipartisan 
resolution recognizing National Minority Cancer Awareness Week with my 
colleague, Representative Rodney Davis. We must invest in research, 
innovation, and diagnosis to end this disparity. I celebrate National 
Minority Health Month.

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