S.Res. 145 — Agreed to in Senate

III 113th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 145 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 16, 2013 Mr. Cardin (for himself 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 2013 to bring attention to the 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 in 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services released the National Stakeholder Strategy for Achieving Health Equity and the Disparities action Plan to reduce health care disparities in the United States; Whereas a recent analysis estimates that the economy of the United States loses an estimated $309,000,000,000 a year due to the direct and indirect costs of health disparities; Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services has identified 6 main categories in which racial and ethnic minorities experience the most disparate access to health care and health outcomes, including infant mortality, cancer screening and management, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, HIV and AIDS infection, and immunizations; 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 the rate of death from coronary heart disease is 30 percent higher among African Americans than among Whites; Whereas the death rate from stroke is 50 percent higher among African Americans than among Whites; Whereas in 2012, as compared to non-Hispanic Whites living in Hawaii, Native Hawaiians had more than twice the rate of medically-diagnosed diabetes and were 5.7 times more likely to die of diabetes; Whereas compared to non-Hispanic White men, African American men are 9.5 times more likely to die of AIDS and Hispanic men are 2.5 times more likely to die of AIDS; Whereas in 2010, 84 percent of children born with HIV infection belonged to minority groups; Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services has identified diseases of the heart, malignant neoplasm, unintentional injuries, diabetes, and cerebrovascular disease as some of the 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 American Indians and Alaska Natives have a life expectancy that is 5.2 years shorter than the life expectancy of the overall population of the United States: Now, therefore, be it That the Senate supports the goals and ideals of National Minority Health Month in April 2013 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.