Health Disparities in Minority Communities

Floor Speech

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Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Minority Health Awareness Month.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Congressman Clyburn and Congresswoman McClellan, for holding this Special Order hour to bring attention to our country's health disparities.

As chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, I am familiar with the adverse statistics that face Black and Brown communities.

Black women are three times more likely to die due to pregnancy- related causes than White women.

Black people are about twice as likely to die from diabetes than White people.

On the South Side of Chicago, which I represent, Black people are expected to die 11 years earlier than White people living on the North Side, and sometimes it is higher than that.

Let us not forget gun violence, a public health crisis and emergency in our country. Black people die from gun violence at 2.7 times the rate of White people. While guns have been the leading cause of death for all children and teenagers since 2020, guns have been the leading cause of death for Black children since 2006.

These statistics are horrifying, but we cannot forget the faces and stories behind the numbers.

When I was first elected to Congress, a constituent called me and said her friend's daughter-in-law died in child labor. That baby had to grow up without a mother. It is because of her and her baby that I continue to fight for Black mothers and maternal health.

I have heard countless stories from parents who have turned their pain into purpose after losing a child to gun violence, determined not to let another family go through the same grief. I continue to fight to end gun violence because of these families. Even now, I stand firm amid attacks against public health.

House Republicans want to slash Medicaid by $880 billion. Their budget is an attack against millions of Americans who depend on Medicaid for healthcare.

Over 300,000 of my constituents are at risk of losing healthcare if House Republicans get their way. More constituents stand to see their health premiums increase by over $1,000.

Again, it is more than just the numbers. I heard from parents who won't be able to provide the lifesaving medication and treatment their son needs. If they can't afford healthcare for their son, they will first sell their home. If that doesn't work, they actually talked about giving up custody of their son to the State.

I heard from a mom whose son has autism and is terrified for his future if he doesn't have healthcare and specialized education.

I have heard from another mother whose entire family relies on Medicaid for lifesaving care.

As House Republicans attack Medicaid, Elon Musk and his unqualified team at DOGE have slashed 20,000 jobs at the Department of Health and Human Services. Their staff cuts and restructuring have targeted the Offices of Minority Health at CMS and SAMHSA.

How can we honor Minority Health Month if the institutions dedicated to closing health disparities are being eliminated?

For over a decade in Congress, I have worked with CDC, HRSA, and NIH to reduce pregnancy-related deaths. I have introduced legislation to help diversify clinical trials so medical breakthroughs can reach the patients who need treatment the most.

President Trump's agenda, however, is determined to drag us backward. He has declared an end to so-called woke research and programs. These programs are meant to help women, veterans, Black people, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and, frankly, all of us.

In the middle of our country's maternal mortality crisis, Trump and DOGE fired the people dedicated to finding and implementing solutions mothers desperately need. Only three government data sources report maternal deaths in the U.S., and they are all in dire risk with the current reorganization plans at HHS.

These cuts to Medicaid and our country's healthcare infrastructure are simply cruel and will leave all Americans' health in limbo.

I refuse to go backward. I am determined to continue to march forward arm in arm with my CBC colleagues and allies to fight for our healthcare.

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