III 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 221 

Promoting minority health awareness and supporting the goals and ideals 

of National Minority Health Month in April 2023, 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 18, 2023 

Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina, Mr. PADILLA, Mr. 

MENENDEZ, Ms. HIRONO, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. 

BRAUN, Mr. MARKEY, and Mr. BROWN) 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 2023, 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; 


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•SRES 221 ATS 

Whereas the theme for National Minority Health Month in 

2023 is ‘‘Better Health Through Better Understanding’’; 

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 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 2.3 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 

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, African Americans accounted for 42.1 percent of HIV infections and Hispanic Americans accounted for almost 30 percent of HIV infections; 


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•SRES 221 ATS 

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, 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; 

Whereas Asian American and Pacific Islander adults accounted for 30.1 percent of chronic Hepatitis B cases, 

and non-Hispanic White adults 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, liver disease, 

viral hepatitis, 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; 


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Whereas African American infants are almost 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, while more than 1 in 6 older adults have untreated 

cavities, non-Hispanic Black older adults have between 2 

and 3 times the rate of untreated cavities as non-Hispanic White older adults; 

Whereas the 2022 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report found American Indians and Alaska Natives 

received worse care than non-Hispanic Whites for 43 percent of quality measures; 

Whereas, as of 2023, with respect to hospitalizations due to 

COVID–19, American Indians and Alaska Natives are 

2.4 times more likely, African Americans are 2.1 times 

more likely, and Hispanics are 1.8 times more likely to 

be hospitalized compared to non-Hispanic Whites; 

Whereas, as of 2023, with respect to deaths due to COVID– 

19, American Indians and Alaska Natives are 2 times 


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•SRES 221 ATS 

more likely, African Americans are 1.6 times more likely, 

and Hispanics are 1.7 times more likely to die compared 

to non-Hispanic Whites; and 

Whereas the health innovations of the United States present 

a unique opportunity 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 

1 Resolved, That the Senate supports the recognition 

2 of National Minority Health Month in April 2023, which 

3 includes bringing attention to the health disparities faced 

4 by minority populations in the United States, such as 

5 American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Afri6 can Americans, Hispanics, and Native Hawaiians or other 

7 Pacific Islanders. 

Æ 


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