Political Quotes

“I rise in support of the Christensen resolution. Our values and success as a Nation are a function of multiple races, multiple ethnicities and multiple cultures. The Nation's health care system, our medical research, our medical education and our medical care, should reflect that fact, but we have major work to do. Minority populations have higher rates of cancer, higher rates of heart disease, especially higher rates of diabetes, higher rates of HIV/AIDS. Minorities have shorter life expectancies, higher infant mortality rates and a high, much too high, incidence of premature death. Minorities are less likely in this health care system to receive cancer screening and monitoring. Minorities are less likely to receive childhood and adult vaccinations. Unless we initiate changes explicitly aimed at reducing disparities in health and health care, those disparities will persist. This resolution is a good start. Among other things, it would encourage the establishment of the Minority Health and Health Disparities Month.”