IV 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 239 
Raising awareness of the racial disparities in the impact of colorectal cancer 
on the Black community. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 21, 2025 
Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN (for herself, Ms. NORTON, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. 
COHEN, Mrs. HAYES, Ms. SEWELL, Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE, Ms. 
PRESSLEY, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, and 
Mr. MEEKS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
RESOLUTION 
Raising awareness of the racial disparities in the impact 
of colorectal cancer on the Black community. 
Whereas colorectal cancer, or CRC, is the third-most common 
cancer in the United States for men and women com-
bined, and the second-leading cause of cancer death; 
Whereas this disease takes the lives of more than 50,000 peo-
ple each year; 
Whereas the rate of CRC is 20 percent higher among Black 
men and is 14 percent higher among Black women than 
compared to non-Hispanic Whites; 
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•HRES 239 IH 
Whereas the rate of CRC death is 40 percent higher among 
Black men and is 25 percent higher among Black women 
than compared to non-Hispanic Whites; 
Whereas CRC is the third-leading cause of cancer death in 
both Black men and women in the United States; 
Whereas Black Americans have the lowest 5-year survival 
rate for CRC of any racial group in the United States; 
Whereas deaths from colorectal cancer among people younger 
than 55 have increased 1.9 percent per year from 2011 
to 2019; 
Whereas the tragic death of 43-year-old actor Chadwick 
Boseman from colorectal cancer has catalyzed more con-
versation about CRC’s impact on the Black community; 
Whereas, by 2030, it is expected that CRC will be the leading 
cause of death among people ages 20 to 49; 
Whereas it is estimated that 19 percent of racial disparity in 
CRC death rates between White and Black Americans is 
due to lower screening rates alone; and 
Whereas CRC has a 90-percent survival rate when caught at 
the earliest stage and there are many screening methods 
available: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes the deadly impact colorectal can-
cer has to the American people; 
(2) acknowledges the racial disparity that the 
Black community faces when dealing with colorectal 
cancer; 
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(3) encourages the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention to continue and expand their work to 
identify those factors that result in the colorectal ra-
cial screening disparity and develop effective strate-
gies to reduce and ultimately eliminate racial dis-
parities in colorectal screening; 
(4) encourages everyone get colorectal cancer 
screening when recommended by the United States 
Preventive Services Task Force; 
(5) encourages the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention to conduct research to determine any 
environmental factors, and the National Institutes of 
Health to conduct research into any physiological 
factors that cause an elevated risk for colorectal can-
cer in young adults; and 
(6) urges State health plans to quickly adopt 
new measures to cover colorectal screenings for indi-
viduals at a lower age, with special consideration for 
the Black community and all those at higher risk for 
colorectal cancer. 
Æ 
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