Title: A 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.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This resolution expresses support for National Minority Health Month.

[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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