Political Quotes

“I want to thank the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) and also the gentleman from New York (Mr. Torres) for hosting this Special Order hour. I would like to thank my sister Chair Beatty and all my Congressional Black Caucus colleagues for their continued work to shine a spotlight on racial health disparities. Dr. Martin Luther King once said, ``Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane.'' Madam Speaker, what was true in Dr. King's time continues to be true in our own. Communities of color have long experienced inadequate access to healthcare, housing, healthy food, and economic opportunity. These inequalities independently, and working together, increase the prevalence of a host of dangerous health conditions, including diabetes, asthma, obesity, heart disease, and high blood pressure. One of the most shocking examples of health inequity is our Nation's maternal and infant mortality crisis. Infants born to Black mothers are nearly twice as likely to die compared to those born to White mothers. Continuing after birth, minority Americans face far higher rates of illness and death from an array of conditions. And what does this lead to, you might ask? Well, I am glad you did. Black Americans have a life expectancy that is 4 years--I repeat, 4 years--shorter than White Americans.…”