Andre Carson: “I would like to first extend my gratitude to the gentlemen from Texas, Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Hinojosa, along with the…”

“I would like to first extend my gratitude to the gentlemen from Texas, Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Hinojosa, along with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, for organizing this special order tonight to discuss minority health issues. Earlier today, the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the Congressional Native American Caucus held a rally to call attention to the need to increase health care access. In my home State of Indiana, Mr. Speaker, there were over 1.4 million people who did not have health insurance at some point last year. That is 26 percent of the nonelderly population. Universal, affordable access to health care would be a major factor in eliminating the vast health disparities for minority populations. Affordable access to health care for the minority populations is a matter of economics as well as life.”