Congressional Black Caucus

Floor Speech

CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS

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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend and thank the gentlewoman from Ohio for not only her leadership on this but her leadership on many issues that affect not only African Americans but people all over America.

Although we are talking about health disparities, let it be known that we don't believe that merely dealing with the disparities is going to get us where we need to be relative to health care in this country. I am firmly convinced that the only way that we will address adequately all of the health care needs that exist in this country is to have a national health plan where everybody is in and nobody is out; where everybody will have access to quality, comprehensive health care without regard to their ability to pay.

I have spent a great deal of my time over the last 2 or 3 years dealing with the particular needs of young African American males. And if we look at that population group, nearly four out of 10 young African American men lack health insurance. The percentage of uninsured African American men, while higher than that of whites, is lower than that of Hispanics, American Indians, and Native Hawaiians. Young men, regardless of race or ethnicity, are more likely to be uninsured than any other age group.

People without health insurance are more likely than those with health insurance to delay needed care, less likely to fill prescriptions, and more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage when they do finally seek care. They are also less likely to have a usual or regular source of care.

Young African American men die at the rate that is at least 1.5 times that of young white and Hispanic men and almost three times the rate of young Asian men. While the death rate drops for men ages 25 to 29 for most groups, it continues to rise among African Americans. The leading causes of death for all young men ages 15 to 29, regardless of race or ethnicity, are unintentional injuries such as car accident, firearm, or drowning, suicide and homicide. For young African American men, more deaths are caused by homicide than any other cause.

Additionally, HIV is the sixth leading cause of death for young African American and Hispanic men. Yet for other racial groups, HIV is not among the top 10 causes of death.

When I hear my colleagues talk about what we need to do and when Representative Clarke was here a few minutes ago talking about the need for gun control legislation that would make it more difficult to acquire and make use of handguns, that is so real. Not only are those tragedies taking place in New York, but I also take this opportunity to commend Reverend Jessie Jackson and a coalition of individuals, including Reverend Gregory Livingston, who every Saturday morning have been picketing gun shops outside the City of Chicago. Fortunately, you cannot purchase a handgun in Chicago, but you can go right outside and purchase all that you want.

So I commend them for their efforts to make real the notion that change can occur, but it only comes as we are activated, motivated, stimulated, and involved.

So, again, Representative Jones, I thank you for your leadership. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to put a face on this problem that is plaguing African Americans all over America.

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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I must tell you, I was in Detroit at the NAACP convention last week, and there were some folks there from Ohio. And as we talked about what needed to happen, I know I don't have to ask you, but I just know that my representative, Representative Stephanie TUBBS JONES, is up on this, as in my man, you got it right. You're on it; stay on it. We appreciate you so much.

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