III 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 187 

Supporting national minority health awareness in order to bring attention 

to the severe health disparities faced by minority populations such as 

American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asians, Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, and Native Hawaiians and other Pacific 

Islanders. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 17, 2011 

Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Ms. MURKOWSKI, and Mr. BEGICH) submitted the 

following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting national minority health awareness in order to 

bring attention to the severe health disparities faced 

by minority populations such as American Indians and 

Alaska Natives, Asians, Blacks or African Americans, 

Hispanics or Latinos, and Native Hawaiians and other 

Pacific Islanders. 

Whereas many minority populations disproportionately experience health care barriers, exposure to environmental 

hazards, mortality, morbidity, behavioral risk factors, disability status, and unique social determinants of health; 

Whereas the expected increase in minority populations in the 

near future will impact the entire health system of the 


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•SRES 187 ATS 

United States, making the collective improved health of 

minority populations even more critical to the Nation; 

Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services has 

identified 6 main categories in which racial and ethnic 

minorities experience the most disparate access and 

health outcomes, including infant mortality, cancer 

screening and management, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS infection, and immunizations; 

Whereas according to the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention, African-American, American Indian, and 

Puerto Rican infants have higher mortality rates than 

White infants; 

Whereas African-American women are more than twice as 

likely to die of cervical cancer than White women and are 

more likely to die of breast cancer than women of any 

other racial or ethnic group; 

Whereas in 2006, among adults older than 44, the rate of 

death from coronary heart disease was 20 percent higher 

among African Americans than among Whites, and the 

death rate from stroke was 48 percent higher among African Americans than among Whites; 

Whereas in 2008, as compared to non-Hispanic Whites, African American adults were 6 times more likely to have 

medically-diagnosed diabetes, Hispanics were 1.5 times 

more likely to have medically-diagnosed diabetes, and 

Asians were 1.2 times more likely to have medically-diagnosed diabetes; 

Whereas African Americans and Hispanics represented only 

27 percent of the United States population in 2008, but 

accounted for an estimated 68 percent of adult AIDS diVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:18 May 18, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR187.ATS SR187

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•SRES 187 ATS 

agnoses and 71 percent of estimated pediatric AIDS diagnoses in 2008; 

Whereas in 2008, Hispanics and African Americans age 65 

and older were less likely than non-Hispanic Whites to 

report having received influenza and pneumococcal vaccines; 

Whereas American Indians and Alaska Natives have a life expectancy that is 5.2 years less than the life expectancy 

of the population of the United States overall; 

Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services has 

identified diseases of the heart, malignant neoplasm, unintentional injuries, diabetes, and cerebrovascular disease 

as the 5 leading causes of death among American Indians 

and Alaska Natives; 

Whereas American Indians and Alaska Natives die at higher 

rates than other people in the United States from tuberculosis, diabetes, unintentional injuries, and suicide; and 

Whereas health care experts, policymakers and tribal leaders 

are seeking to address the disproportionate disease burden and lower life expectancy for the American Indian 

and Alaska Native people by examining various factors 

that contribute to health status: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate supports national minority 

2 health awareness in order to bring attention to the severe 

3 health disparities faced by minority populations such as 

4 American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asians, Blacks or 

5 African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, and Native Ha6 waiians and other Pacific Islanders. 

Æ 


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