The State of Black Health: A Congressional Black Caucus Assessment During National Minority Health Month

Floor Speech

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Ms. KELLY of Illinois. I thank the distinguished gentleman from the Garden State, my good friend, Donald Payne. I am glad he is back and in better health in order to lead this Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour on the state of black health.

Mr. Speaker, it has been the refrain of so many people of all races across the country, the refrain of ``black lives matter.'' We have gathered here this evening because black lives do matter. Whether we are talking about issues of justice or of economic opportunity or of the health of our Nation, black lives matter. The topic of tonight's Special Order hour is: The State of Black Health--a CBC Assessment during National Minority Health Month.

Each April, we observe National Minority Health Month in order to raise awareness about the gaping health disparities that impact communities of color across the Nation. Many of us have been personally affected by the physical and emotional tolls that conditions like obesity, diabetes, kidney disease, breast and prostate cancer, and HIV/AIDS have brought on ourselves and our loved ones and neighbors.

Last month marked the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery marches--the generation-defining events that led to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Like the right to vote, health care is a fundamental civil right that our leaders, health professionals, and communities must fight to protect. The Affordable Care Act was a critical step in the march toward health equity, but there is still much more to be done.

Dr. Martin Luther King expressed this a half century ago when he said: ``Of all of the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.''

I couldn't agree more, and it has been the work of the CBC and of the Congressional Black Health Braintrust, which I chair, to advance the critical phrase of the human rights and civil rights struggle--``health equity.''

This year, the CBC's Health Braintrust will focus on three core principles: strengthening our communities, improving health access, and marching toward a healthier future. The disparities facing minority communities in rural areas across the country are too numerous to name. To that end, the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust will work vigorously to address the gaps that exist when it comes to reducing heart disease, kidney disease, lung ailments, stroke, oral health, lupus, child nutrition, HIV/AIDS, mental health disorders, gun violence as a public health threat, and other chronic and infectious diseases.

I am glad that, during tonight's hour, we will be focused on strengthening our public health infrastructure and on developing community-oriented, multidisciplinary approaches to public health, which will close the national health disparity gap.

This National Minority Health Month the CBC will work to expand access to health care, early health education, and medical investment so that we can make our communities healthier and reduce the prevalence of diseases that disproportionately cut minority lives short.

Again, I thank my coanchor for the next hour.

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Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Thank you, Congressman Payne.

Something I want to speak about is oral health. As we discuss the state of black America, I want to address a topic that is so often left out of the public health discourse, and that is the issue of oral health in America.

Earlier this year, the CBC Health Braintrust recognized National Children's Dental Health Month, and back in February I had the opportunity to go around my district in a mobile dental van to observe local dentists performing free oral health screenings around the community.

These types of effort matter, and oral health is a critical piece to overall health wellness. The sad fact is that all across our Nation, many communities are experiencing serious oral health crises.

Far too many people in urban, suburban, and rural America are lacking access to dental care, despite the efforts of committed dental professionals and social service organizations.

We must recognize that access to dental health care across the country is not equal. Each year, nearly 50 million Americans, including 16 million low-income children in underserved communities, go without the oral health services they need.

As we continue the national discussion on improving health care and reducing health disparities in America, it is important that oral health be central to the conversation.

When officials discuss health care and wellness, they should remember that the mouth is connected to the rest of the body. This seems to be forgotten in the current dialogue about improving health outcomes for all.

This year I introduced H.R. 539, the Action for Dental Health Act, which allows organizations to qualify for Health and Human Service oral health grants to support activities that improve oral health education and dental disease prevention.

This includes developing and expanding outreach programs that will facilitate establishing dental homes for children and adults, including the elderly, blind and disabled.

This bipartisan legislation will target crucial Federal dollars to State and local dental organizations to provide proven oral health care services in a manner that effectively addresses the barriers to dental care many Americans face. It will have a significant impact on many underserved communities.

I think the majority of my colleagues know that regular visits to the dentist do more than keep your smile attractive. They can tell a lot about your overall health, including whether or not you may be developing a disease like diabetes or if you are at risk for a stroke.

As the CBC takes on the critical task of creating healthier communities by breaking down barriers, oral health is a subject that must be addressed. This will

ultimately help reduce unnecessary health-care costs by minimizing and eliminating dental diseases in their early stages.

As I mentioned earlier, I recently visited a new mobile dental van operated by a hospital in an underserved community in my district that had a stop at the hospital's Women, Infant, and Children's Center. They had a pediatric dentist on hand to provide babies and toddlers with their first dental exams.

I saw firsthand the critical need for dental care, not only for these young children, but for their parents. This highlighted all too well the gaps in dental care that are particularly prevalent in minority communities.

Viewing the care and service the these dental professionals displayed to kids, many of whom had never been to a dentist, reminded me of kids like Deamonte Driver.

You may recall, he was the 12-year old boy from Maryland who died from an untreated tooth infection that spread lethal bacteria to his brain. An untreated tooth condition that could have been resolved with a routine extraction cost this boy his life. How is that possible in the most innovative, wealthy Nation in the world?

I think we should be doing more to support volunteer dental projects in underserved communities and improve oral health education, with a particular focus on early oral health education and care for children. We all know the link between good dental care and overall health has been well established.

As we look for ways to raise a healthier generation of children, increasing access and removing barriers to dental care must be at the forefront. Through legislation like H.R. 539, the Action for Dental Health Act, I am working to increase access to dental care and build healthier communities. In improving the state of black health and the state of American health, I ask that we lift up the issue of oral health, and ask that my colleagues take the first step by cosponsoring H.R. 539.

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Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Thank you, Congressman Payne. Welcome back. And I am glad you are taking care of yourself.

Madam Speaker, again, I thank my colleagues for taking the time during National Minority Health Awareness Month to assess the very critical state of black health in America.

As stated earlier, the health disparities facing communities of color are too significant to adequately address in just an hour. As a recent CDC Health Disparities Report demonstrated:

Blacks diagnosed with HIV are less likely than any other groups to be linked to care, retained in care, receive treatment, and achieve adequate viral suppression;

Although black Americans represent only 12 percent of the U.S. population, they accounted for 44 percent of new HIV infections and represented 49 percent of all deaths with HIV in 2010. Furthermore, blacks also accounted for 49 percent of new AIDS diagnoses in 2011;

According to the U.S. Census Bureau 2010 Population Estimates, 84 percent of all reported tuberculosis cases occurred in racial and ethnic minorities. African Americans accounted for 40 percent of TB cases amongst U.S.-born persons.

These facts account for a few of the health disparities affecting the state of black health.

The Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust is committed to strengthening our Nation's public health infrastructure and developing community-oriented, multidisciplinary approaches to public health. We will continue to work vigorously to address health gaps existing in the black community, empower communities, and improve health access in efforts to march toward a healthier future.

Black lives matter. The state of black health matters, and we are confident that if we all join together, we can alleviate health disparities facing minority communities across this Nation.

I thank my colleagues and my cochair, the Honorable Donald Payne, Jr., for this hour of discussion, this hour of opportunity, and this hour of change.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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