[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 613 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 3, 2022
Mr. Cardin (for himself, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mr. Sullivan, Mr.
Rubio, Mr. Braun, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Markey, Mr. Padilla,
Mrs. Capito, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Booker, Mr. Brown, Ms. Cortez Masto, and
Mr. Schatz) submitted the following resolution; which was considered
and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
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.
Whereas the origin of National Minority Health Month is National Negro Health
Week, established in 1915 by Dr. Booker T. Washington;
Whereas the theme for National Minority Health Month in 2022 is ``Give Your
Community a Boost!'';
Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services has set goals and strategies
to enhance and protect the health and well-being of the people of the
United States;
Whereas a study by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, entitled
``The Economic Burden of Health Inequalities in the United States'',
concluded that, between 2003 and 2006, the combined cost of health
inequalities and premature death in the United States was
$1,240,000,000,000;
Whereas African American women were as likely to have been diagnosed with breast
cancer as non-Hispanic White women, but African American women were 41
percent more likely to die from breast cancer than non-Hispanic White
women between 2015 and 2019;
Whereas African American women were twice as likely to be diagnosed with and 2.2
times more likely to die of stomach cancer than non-Hispanic White
women;
Whereas African American men are 70 percent more likely to die from a stroke
than non-Hispanic White men;
Whereas Hispanics are twice as likely as non-Hispanic Whites to be hospitalized
for end-stage renal disease caused by diabetes, and are 30 percent more
likely to die of diabetes, than non-Hispanic Whites;
Whereas Asian Americans are 40 percent more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes
than non-Hispanic Whites;
Whereas the HIV or AIDS case rate among Hispanic men is more than 4 times the
HIV or AIDS case rate among non-Hispanic White men;
Whereas Hispanic women are 3 times as likely as non-Hispanic White women to die
of HIV infection;
Whereas, in 2019, although African Americans represented only 13 percent of the
population of the United States, African Americans accounted for 42.1
percent of new HIV diagnoses;
Whereas, in 2019, African American youth accounted for more than 50 percent, and
Hispanic youth accounted for more than 10 percent, of all new HIV
diagnoses among youth in the United States;
Whereas, in 2019, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders were 2.4 times more
likely to be diagnosed with HIV than non-Hispanic Whites;
Whereas, in 2018, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders were 2.5 times more
likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than non-Hispanic Whites;
Whereas Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander men are 10 percent more likely to
die from cancer than non-Hispanic White men;
Whereas, although the prevalence of obesity is high among all population groups
in the United States, 48.1 percent of American Indian and Alaska
Natives, 51.7 percent of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, 38.3
percent of African Americans, 34.9 percent of Hispanics, 30 percent of
non-Hispanic Whites, and 13 percent of Asian Americans older than 18
years old were obese (not including overweight);
Whereas Asian Americans accounted for 30.1 percent of chronic Hepatitis B cases,
and non-Hispanic Whites accounted for 13.5 percent of chronic Hepatitis
B cases;
Whereas heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes are some of the leading
causes of death among American Indians and Alaska Natives;
Whereas American Indians and Alaska Natives have higher prevalence and are at a
higher risk of diabetes, substance use, obesity, sudden infant death
syndrome, and suicide than other groups in the United States;
Whereas American Indians and Alaska Natives have a life expectancy that is 2.2
years shorter than the life expectancy of the overall population of the
United States;
Whereas African American women die from childbirth or pregnancy-related causes
at a rate that is 3 to 4 times higher than the rate for non-Hispanic
White women;
Whereas African American infants are 4 times more likely to die due to
complications related to low birth weight than non-Hispanic White
infants;
Whereas American Indians and Alaska Natives have an infant mortality rate twice
as high as that of non-Hispanic Whites;
Whereas American Indian and Alaska Native infants are 2.7 times more likely to
die from accidental deaths before their first birthday than non-Hispanic
White infants;
Whereas approximately 1,000 babies are born with sickle cell disease each year
in the United States, with the disease occurring in approximately 1 in
365 newborn Black or African-American infants and 1 in 16,300 newborn
Hispanic-American infants, and can be found in individuals of
Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Asian, and Indian origin;
Whereas the 2021 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report found
African Americans received worse care than non-Hispanic Whites for about
43 percent of quality measures, American Indians and Alaska Natives
received worse care than non-Hispanic Whites for about 40 percent of
quality measures, Hispanics received worse care than non-Hispanic Whites
for 36 percent of quality measures, and Asian Americans and Native
Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders received worse care than non-Hispanic
Whites for nearly 30 percent of quality measures;
Whereas nearly 25 percent of reported COVID-19 cases are among Hispanics
compared to less than 55 percent comprising non-Hispanic Whites;
Whereas 3 times more American Indians and Alaska Natives, 2.3 times more
Hispanics, and 2.4 times more African Americans were hospitalized due to
COVID-19 compared to non-Hispanic Whites;
Whereas significant differences in social determinants of health can lead to
poor health outcomes and declines in life expectancy; and
Whereas community-based health care initiatives, such as prevention-focused
programs, present a unique opportunity to use innovative approaches to
improve public health and health care practices across the United States
and to reduce disparities among racial and ethnic minority populations:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate supports the goals and ideals of National
Minority Health Month in April 2022, which include bringing attention
to the health disparities faced by minority populations in the United
States, such as American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asian Americans,
African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Hawaiians or other Pacific
Islanders.
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