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Home Source documents Congressional Record, Senate, July 22, 2020, Page S4425

Congressional Record, Senate, July 22, 2020, Page S4425

Summary

A page of the Congressional Record, Senate, dated July 22, 2020, at page S4425, under Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolution. Mr. Kaine and Ms. Murkowski introduce S. 4269 to improve maternal health and promote safe motherhood, with Mr. Kaine citing racial and ethnic inequities in maternal and infant mortality. Mr. Thune and Mr. Enzi introduce S. 4275 to require recipients of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance to provide employment documentation, and the text is printed in the Record. Cosponsors are added to amendments to S. 4049, the defense bill, and the page ends with the preamble of a resolution on health care disparities.

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“Congressional Record, Senate, July 22, 2020, Page S4425.” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2020-07-22-crec-2020-07-22-pt1-pgs4425-8f6bb7d887/, SHA-256 3c3f9d81484dce139b392a5383f89d0b7370eca8509d7d6cf004cec80e5cf32a.

Full text

                                               July 22, 2020                                     CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE                                                                      S4425
                                               the Department of Energy, to prescribe                      STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED                            preventable maternal and infant mor-
                                               military personnel strengths for such                       BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION                          tality in the United States. I’m calling
                                               fiscal year, and for other purposes.                           By Mr. KAINE (for himself and                    on my Senate colleagues to support
                                                               AMENDMENT NO. 2435                               Ms. MURKOWSKI):                                this bill and include it in the next
                                                 At the request of Mr. VAN HOLLEN,                        S. 4269. A bill to amend the Public                  coronavirus relief package so we can
                                               the name of the Senator from Illinois                    Health Service Act to improve mater-                   enact positive systemic changes to
                                               (Mr. DURBIN) was added as a cosponsor                    nal health and promote safe mother-                    make sure more women and newborns
                                               of amendment No. 2435 intended to be                     hood; to the Committee on Health,                      thrive and have the maximum chance
                                               proposed to S. 4049, an original bill to                 Education, Labor, and Pensions.                        for success.
                                               authorize appropriations for fiscal year                   Mr. KAINE. Mr. President. There are
                                               2021 for military activities of the De-                  significant racial and ethnic inequities                     By Mr. THUNE (for himself and
                                               partment of Defense, for military con-                   in maternal and infant mortality rates                          Mr. ENZI):
                                               struction, and for defense activities of                 in the U.S. According to the CDC, the                    S. 4275. A bill to require recipients of
                                               the Department of Energy, to prescribe                   maternal mortality rate for non-His-                   Pandemic Unemployment Assistance
                                               military personnel strengths for such                    panic Black women in 2018 is more                      to provide employment documentation,
                                               fiscal year, and for other purposes.                     than 2.5 times higher than the mater-                  and for other purposes; to the Com-
                                                               AMENDMENT NO. 2437                       nal mortality rate of non-Hispanic                     mittee on Finance.
                                                                                                        white women, and the infant mortality                    Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask
                                                 At the request of Ms. KLOBUCHAR, the
                                                                                                        rate of non-Hispanic Black women is                    unanimous consent that the text of the
                                               names of the Senator from Illinois (Ms.
                                                                                                        more than 2.3 times higher than the in-                bill be printed in the RECORD.
                                               DUCKWORTH) and the Senator from                                                                                   There being no objection, the text of
                                               Alaska (Mr. SULLIVAN) were added as                      fant mortality rate of non-Hispanic
                                                                                                        white women. Any pregnant woman                        the bill was ordered to be printed in
                                               cosponsors of amendment No. 2437 in-                                                                            the RECORD, as follows:
                                               tended to be proposed to S. 4049, an                     choosing to have a child should be able
                                                                                                        to do so safely without regard to in-                                       S. 4275
                                               original bill to authorize appropria-
                                                                                                        come, race, ethnicity, employment sta-                   Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep-
                                               tions for fiscal year 2021 for military
                                                                                                        tus, or any other socio-economic fac-                  resentatives of the United States of America in
                                               activities of the Department of De-                                                                             Congress assembled,
                                               fense, for military construction, and                    tor.’
                                                                                                          This is why Senator MURKOWOSKI and                   SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
                                               for defense activities of the Depart-                                                                            This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Pandemic
                                               ment of Energy, to prescribe military                    I are introducing the Mothers and
                                                                                                                                                               Unemployment Assistance Integrity Act’’.
                                               personnel strengths for such fiscal                      Newborns Success Act, which aims to
                                                                                                                                                               SEC. 2. PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE.
                                               year, and for other purposes.                            reduce maternal and infant mortality,
                                                                                                                                                                 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2102(a) of the Re-
                                                                                                        ensure that all infants can grow up                    lief for Workers Affected by Coronavirus Act
                                                               AMENDMENT NO. 2441
                                                                                                        healthy and safe, and protect women’s                  (contained in subtitle A of title II of division
                                                 At the request of Mrs. GILLIBRAND,                     health before, during, and after preg-
                                               the name of the Senator from Con-                                                                               A of the CARES Act (Public Law 116–136)) is
                                                                                                        nancy. Our legislation supports innova-                amended—
                                               necticut (Mr. BLUMENTHAL) was added                      tion in maternal health delivery and                     (1) in paragraph (3)—
                                               as a cosponsor of amendment No. 2441                     improves data collection on maternal                     (A) in subparagraph (A)—
                                               intended to be proposed to S. 4049, an                   mortality and maternal deaths. The                       (i) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the
                                               original bill to authorize appropria-                    bill will help ensure that women are                   end; and
                                               tions for fiscal year 2021 for military                  matched with birthing facilities that                    (ii) by inserting after clause (ii) the fol-
                                               activities of the Department of De-                                                                             lowing:
                                                                                                        are risk-appropriate for their par-                      ‘‘(iii) provides documentation substan-
                                               fense, for military construction, and                    ticular needs to improve maternal and
                                               for defense activities of the Depart-                                                                           tiating employment or self-employment or
                                                                                                        neonatal care and outcomes. The legis-                 the planned commencement of employment
                                               ment of Energy, to prescribe military                    lation strengthens support for women                   or self-employment not later than 21 days
                                               personnel strengths for such fiscal                      during the critical postpartum period,                 after the date on which the individual sub-
                                               year, and for other purposes.                            the year after birth, and will help en-                mits an application for assistance under this
                                                               AMENDMENT NO. 2451                                                                              section or is directed by the State Agency to
                                                                                                        sure pregnant women get the vaccina-
                                                 At the request of Mr. MARKEY, the                                                                             submit such documentation or has shown
                                                                                                        tions they need and are aware of ma-
                                               names of the Senator from California                                                                            good cause under the applicable State law
                                                                                                        ternal health warning signs. The bill                  for failing to submit such documentation by
                                               (Mrs. FEINSTEIN) and the Senator from                    promotes maternal health research and                  the deadline, in accordance with section
                                               California (Ms. HARRIS) were added as                    the use of telehealth to help high-risk                625.6(e) of title 20, Code of Federal Regula-
                                               cosponsors of amendment No. 2451 in-                     expectant mothers in geographically-                   tions, or any successor thereto, except that
                                               tended to be proposed to S. 4049, an                     isolated areas. The Mothers and                        such documentation shall not be required if
                                               original bill to authorize appropria-                    Newborns Success Act is a significant                  the individual previously submitted such in-
                                               tions for fiscal year 2021 for military                  step toward reducing racial, ethnic,                   formation to the State agency for the pur-
                                               activities of the Department of De-                                                                             pose of obtaining regular or other unemploy-
                                                                                                        and geographic inequities in maternal
                                               fense, for military construction, and                                                                           ment compensation; and’’; and
                                                                                                        and infant health. I am glad that my                     (B) in subparagraph (B)—
                                               for defense activities of the Depart-                    colleague Rep. Terri Sewell will be in-                  (i) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the
                                               ment of Energy, to prescribe military                    troducing companion legislation in the                 end;
                                               personnel strengths for such fiscal                      House of Representatives.                                (ii) in clause (ii), by striking the period at
                                               year, and for other purposes.                              Given COV1D–19’s disproportionate                    the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and
                                                               AMENDMENT NO. 2457                       impact on communities of color and re-                   (iii) by adding at the end the following:
                                                 At the request of Mr. MERKLEY, the                     cent research from the CDC which finds                   ‘‘(iii) in accordance with section 625.6(e)(2)
                                               names of the Senator from Delaware                       that pregnant women with COVID–19                      of title 20, Code of Federal Regulations, or
                                               (Mr. COONS), the Senator from New                                                                               any successor thereto, an individual who
                                                                                                        are more likely to be hospitalized and
                                                                                                                                                               does not provide documentation substan-
                                               York (Mrs. GILLIBRAND), the Senator                      admitted to the ICU, this legislation is               tiating employment or self-employment or
                                               from Rhode Island (Mr. REED) and the                     especially timely.                                     the planned commencement of employment
                                               Senator from Delaware (Mr. CARPER)                         No woman should fear for her or her                  or self-employment under subparagraph
                                               were added as cosponsors of amend-                       child’s health because of her race. We                 (A)(iii).’’;
                                               ment No. 2457 intended to be proposed                    need to ensure more women of color                       (2) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5)
                                               to S. 4049, an original bill to authorize                and their children, particularly Black                 as paragraphs (5) and (6), respectively; and




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                                               appropriations for fiscal year 2021 for                  women and children, receive equitable                    (3) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol-
                                               military activities of the Department                    care. COVID–19 and its impact on preg-                 lowing:
                                                                                                                                                                 ‘‘(4) DOCUMENTATION SUBSTANTIATING EM-
                                               of Defense, for military construction,                   nant women has only underscored the
                                                                                                                                                               PLOYMENT OR SELF-EMPLOYMENT OR THE
                                               and for defense activities of the De-                    need for urgent action. By advancing                   PLANNED COMMENCEMENT OF EMPLOYMENT OR
                                               partment of Energy, to prescribe mili-                   evidence-based policies to improve ma-                 SELF-EMPLOYMENT.—The term ‘documenta-
                                               tary personnel strengths for such fiscal                 ternal and infant health outcomes, this                tion substantiating employment or self-em-
                                               year, and for other purposes.                            bill will work to reduce and eliminate                 ployment or the planned commencement of




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                                               S4426                                             CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE                                                        July 22, 2020
                                               employment or self-employment’ means doc-                  Then, later on, in 1992, when Presi-                 $91 billion in Federal loans that fol-
                                               umentation provided by the individual sub-               dent George H.W. Bush was in office                    lowed students to public and private
                                               stantiating employment or self-employment                and I was Education Secretary, I                       colleges of their choice.
                                               and wages earned or paid for such employ-
                                               ment or self-employment, or such informa-
                                                                                                        helped the President develop some-                       Now, the Federal Government also
                                               tion related to the planned commencement                 thing we called the GI Bill for Kids,                  provides vouchers to help pay for
                                               of employment or self-employment.’’.                     which was Federal funds for a $1,000                   childcare. The Child Care and Develop-
                                                 (b) APPLICABILITY.—                                    scholarship to work with cities and                    ment Block Grant was negotiated by
                                                 (1) IN GENERAL.—Beginning not later than               States, like Milwaukee in Wisconsin,                   John Sununu when he was Chief of
                                               30 days after the date of enactment of this              that were trying to give low-income                    Staff for H.W. Bush in 1990, and what
                                               Act, each State shall require that docu-                 families more choices of good schools                  that does is basically give money to
                                               mentation substantiating employment or
                                                                                                        for their children.                                    States, and States then give vouchers,
                                               self-employment or the planned commence-
                                               ment of employment or self-employment (as
                                                                                                          Then, my last act as Education Sec-                  just like Pell grants for college, but
                                               defined in section 2102 of the Relief for Work-          retary was to notice what they call                    they give them to working moms, and
                                               ers Affected by Coronavirus Act (contained               start-from-scratch schools in Min-                     they can go pick the childcare center
                                               in subtitle A of title II of division A of the           nesota, created by the Democratic-                     that is best for their child.
                                               CARES Act (Public Law 116–136)) be sub-                  Farmer-Labor Party. There were about                     The Federal Government, in 2019,
                                               mitted by any individual who applies for                 a dozen of them, as I remember, and I                  provided $8.7 billion and States another
                                               pandemic unemployment assistance under                   wrote every school district in the coun-               $1.2 to provide vouchers to 1.3 million
                                               section 2102 of the Relief for Workers Af-               try and asked them to start one of
                                               fected by Coronavirus Act (contained in sub-                                                                    children.
                                               title A of title II of division A of the CARES
                                                                                                        these start-from-scratch schools, which                  So I think you can see where I am
                                               Act (Public Law 116–136)) on or after the date           were the forerunners of today’s public                 going with this. It is that the idea of
                                               of enactment of this Act.                                charter schools. Today, we have 7,500                  giving parents choices of schools is not
                                                 (2) PRIOR APPLICANTS.—Any individual who               public charter schools.                                a new idea. We have done it in colleges
                                               applied for pandemic unemployment assist-                  Then, in 2004, I tried something I                   since 1944. We do it with childcare. We
                                               ance under section 2102 of the Relief for                called the Pell Grant for Kids, a $500                 do it in community colleges. Why not
                                               Workers Affected by Coronavirus Act (con-                scholarship that would follow every                    do it for elementary and secondary
                                               tained in subtitle A of title II of division A           middle- and low-income child in Amer-
                                               of the CARES Act (Public Law 116–136)) be-                                                                      education? Why not give low-income
                                                                                                        ica to an accredited program of their                  families more of the same choices of
                                               fore the date of enactment of this Act and
                                                                                                        choosing.                                              good schools that wealthy families
                                               receives such assistance on or after the date
                                                                                                          Some people said: Wait a minute.                     have?
                                               of enactment of this Act shall submit docu-
                                               mentation substantiating employment or                   You can’t call the Pell grant a voucher.                 Now, during COVID–19, children in
                                               self-employment or the planned commence-                   I said: That is precisely what the Pell
                                                                                                                                                               all K–12 schools have been affected by
                                               ment of employment or self-employment (as                grant is. The Pell grant is a voucher
                                                                                                                                                               the disease. There are 100,000 public
                                               defined in such section 2102) not later than 90          that a college student can take to any
                                                                                                                                                               schools across our country serving 50
                                               days after the date of enactment of this Act             accredited college—public, private, or
                                                                                                                                                               million students. That are another
                                               or the individual will be ineligible to receive          religious. Why can’t we do that for ele-
                                               pandemic unemployment assistance under                                                                          35,000 private schools serving 5 million
                                                                                                        mentary and secondary schools?
                                               such section 2102.                                         In 2005, we had a hurricane named                    students. Many of those schools, public
                                                                                                        Katrina, creating devastation on the                   and private, are choosing not to reopen
                                                     By Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina                                                                            in person this fall.
                                                                                                        gulf coast, and Senator Ted Kennedy
                                                       (for himself, Mr. ALEXANDER,                     and I and Senator Landrieu and others                    Many schools are failing to provide
                                                       and Mr. CRUZ):                                   worked together to provide 1.2 billion                 high-quality distance learning. The
                                                 S. 4284. A bill to provide for emer-                                                                          students who will suffer the most from
                                                                                                        Federal dollars in one-time emergency
                                               gency education freedom grants, to                                                                              this are the low-income children—the
                                                                                                        assistance for the 2005–2006 school year
                                               amend the Internal Revenue Code of                                                                              children from families where both par-
                                                                                                        so students enrolled in public or non-
                                               1986 to establish tax credits to encour-                                                                        ents work away from home every day
                                               age individual and corporate taxpayers                   public schools—children who were dis-
                                                                                                        placed by the hurricane—could enroll                   or where the only parent works away
                                               to contribute to scholarships for stu-                                                                          from home every day, children with no
                                               dents through eligible scholarship-                      in public or private schools while their
                                                                                                        families recovered. They got scholar-                  internet, families who can’t afford to
                                               granting organizations, and for other                                                                           put a child in a private school if the
                                               purposes; to the Committee on Fi-                        ships of up to $6,000.
                                                                                                          And, more recently, I suggested a                    public school is not open.
                                               nance.                                                                                                            These are the parents who have the
                                                 Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President,                          Scholarship for Kids Act. I said: Why
                                                                                                        don’t we give a State like Tennessee,                  greatest need and the children who
                                               today, Senator TIM SCOTT of South                                                                               have the greatest need. We should ad-
                                               Carolina and I have introduced the                       Ohio, or North Dakota, the opportunity
                                                                                                        to take most of the Federal dollars and                dress that need as we think about how
                                               School Choice Now Act, which does two
                                                                                                        turn them into scholarships for the                    to deal with COVID–19.
                                               things: It protects students who have                                                                             Just as more families need more op-
                                               been attending private schools from                      lowest income students in their State?
                                                                                                        That scholarship would amount to                       tions, there are fewer scholarships
                                               the heartbreaking loss of scholarships,
                                                                                                        $2,100 if we just took the existing                    available to help them choose private
                                               and it gives families more options for
                                                                                                        money we had and spent it that way.                    schools because there has been less
                                               their children’s education at a time
                                                                                                          So that is the strategy that we fol-                 charitable giving as a result of the pan-
                                               that school is more important than
                                               ever.                                                    lowed in this country for many, many                   demic.
                                                 I have been working to find ways to                    years, ever since 1944, with the GI bill                 So for low-income students attending
                                               help parents pursue the education that                   for veterans.                                          private schools on a scholarship, that
                                               best meets their child’s needs for a                       We all remember what that was. The                   can mean a heartbreaking end to their
                                               long time, since 1979, when I began to                   veterans came home and a grateful na-                  time at school and a transfer to a new
                                               be the Governor of Tennessee.                            tion gave them a scholarship and said:                 school that may not meet their needs
                                                 In 1986, we Governors got together in                  Take it anywhere you want, to any col-                 at all.
                                               something called Time for Results. I                     lege or accredited school. Take it to                    That is why Senator SCOTT and I and
                                               was chairman of the National Gov-                        Notre Dame, take it to Yeshiva, take it                others of us recommend that Congress
                                               ernors Association. The vice chairman                    to a historically Black college, take it               first provide sufficient funding for all
                                                                                                                                                               of our schools—100,000 public schools




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                                               was the Arkansas Governor, Bill Clin-                    to Ohio State, take it to Tennessee,
                                               ton, and we devoted the Governors’ at-                   take it to the Presbyterian school.                    and 35,000 private—so they can safely
                                               tention for an entire year to one sub-                     And they have done that, and the GI                  open this fall with as many students
                                               ject—education.                                          bill may be one of the most certainly                  physically present as possible.
                                                 There were six points. One of those                    successful pieces of legislation ever en-                I have suggested that the cost of this
                                               points way back then was to find ways                    acted.                                                 to the taxpayers could be as much as
                                               to give parents more choices of schools                    Last year, there were over $28 billion               $70 billion. The House of Representa-
                                               for their children.                                      in Federal Pell grants and more than                   tives has appropriated $58 billion.



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                                               July 22, 2020                                     CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE                                                                      S4427
                                                 If Congress were to agree on the                       MURRAY, Ms. HASSAN, Mr. KAINE, Ms.                     on the basis of race, color, national origin,
                                               higher number, $70 billion, that would                   DUCKWORTH, Mr. SCHATZ, Mr. CASEY,                      sex, age, or disability in certain health pro-
                                               be about $1,200 for every one of the 55                  Mr. DURBIN, Mr. REED, Ms. STABENOW,                    grams, building on other Federal civil rights
                                                                                                                                                               laws;
                                               million public and private school stu-                   and Mr. KING) submitted the following                    Whereas the Patient Protection and Af-
                                               dents in the country.                                    resolution; which was referred to the                  fordable Care Act required reporting to Con-
                                                 The School Choice Now Act that Sen-                    Committee on Health, Education,                        gress on health disparities based on race,
                                               ator SCOTT and I are offering is about                   Labor, and Pensions:                                   color, national origin, sex, age, or disability;
                                               the 5.7 million of those 55 million chil-                                  S. RES. 655                            Whereas several Federal programs have
                                               dren who attend the 35,000 nonpublic,                      Whereas the United States ratified over 350          been established to address some, but not all,
                                               private, or religious schools. It pro-                   treaties with sovereign indigenous commu-              of the health outcomes that are dispropor-
                                                                                                        nities, has broken the promises made in such           tionately experienced by communities of
                                               vides scholarships to students to have                                                                          color, including sickle cell disease, tuber-
                                               the opportunity to return to the pri-                    treaties, and has historically failed to carry
                                                                                                        out its trust responsibilities to Native Amer-         culosis, infant mortality, and HIV/AIDS;
                                               vate school they attended before the                                                                              Whereas the National Center for Chronic
                                                                                                        icans, including American Indians, Alaska
                                               pandemic and gives other students a                                                                             Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
                                                                                                        Natives, and Native Hawaiians, as made evi-
                                               new opportunity to attend private                        dent by the chronic and pervasive under-
                                                                                                                                                               works to raise awareness of health dispari-
                                               school by doing two things: One, pro-                                                                           ties faced by minority populations in the
                                                                                                        funding of the Indian Health Service and
                                               viding one-time emergency funding for                                                                           United States, such as Native Americans,
                                                                                                        Tribal, Urban Indian, and Native Hawaiian
                                                                                                                                                               Asian Americans, Black Americans, and
                                               scholarship-granting      organizations.                 health care, the vast health and socio-
                                                                                                                                                               Latino Americans, aiming to reduce risk fac-
                                               These are nonprofits that do the impor-                  economic disparities faced by Native Amer-
                                                                                                                                                               tors for groups affected by such health dis-
                                               tant work of helping students attend                     ican people, and the inaccessibility of many
                                                                                                                                                               parities;
                                               private schools in each State. These                     Federal public health and social programs in
                                                                                                                                                                 Whereas the United States’ health care
                                                                                                        Native American communities;
                                               scholarship-granting organizations will                                                                         system and other economic and social struc-
                                                                                                          Whereas people of Mexican and Puerto
                                               use this one-time funding to provide                                                                            tures remain fraught with racism and racial,
                                                                                                        Rican descent, who became Americans                    ethnic, sex (including sexual orientation and
                                               families with direct educational assist-                 through conquest, were subject to, but never           gender identity), and class biases that lead
                                               ance, including private school tuition                   full members of the polity of the United               to health inequity and health disparities;
                                               as well as homeschooling expenses.                       States and experienced widespread discrimi-              Whereas life expectancy rates for Black
                                                 No. 2, this act would provide perma-                   nation in employment, housing, education,              and Native American people in the United
                                               nent dollar-for-dollar Federal tax cred-                 and health care;                                       States are significantly lower than those of
                                               its for contributions to those scholar-                    Whereas the immoral paradox of slavery               white people in the United States;
                                                                                                        and freedom is an indelible wrong traced                 Whereas disparities in health outcomes are
                                               ship-granting organizations. What this
                                                                                                        throughout the Nation’s history, as African            exacerbated for LGBTQIA+ people of color;
                                               means is that any American taxpayer                      Americans lived under the oppressive insti-
                                               who makes a charitable donation to                                                                                Whereas disparities in health outcomes are
                                                                                                        tution of slavery from 1619 through 1865, en-          worsened for people of color with disabilities
                                               one of these nonprofits that provide                     dured the practices and laws of segregation            due to bias and inequitable access to health
                                               scholarships to students will receive a                  during the Jim Crow Era, and continue to               care;
                                               credit on their Federal taxes equal to                   face the ramifications of systemic racism                Whereas several States with higher per-
                                               the amount the taxpayer donated. The                     through unjust and discriminatory struc-               centages of Black, Latino, and Native Amer-
                                               same goes for private companies that                     tures and policies;                                    ican populations have not expanded their
                                                                                                          Whereas, before the enactment of the                 Medicaid programs—continuing to disenfran-
                                               make donations to these organizations.
                                                                                                        Medicare program, the United States’ health            chise minority communities from access to
                                                 The School Choice Now Act is not a                     care system was highly segregated, and, as             health care to this day;
                                               Federal mandate. States are free to                      late as the mid-1960s, hospitals, clinics, and           Whereas 16 States have failed to take ad-
                                               create their own tax credit scholarship                  doctors’ offices throughout Northern and               vantage of the Federal option to expand ac-
                                               programs that work for the unique                        Southern States complied with Jim Crow                 cess to Medicaid and the Children’s Health
                                               needs of students in their States.                       laws and were completely segregated by                 Insurance Program to lawfully-residing im-
                                               States that don’t want to support                        race—leaving Black communities with little             migrant children within the first 5 years of
                                               scholarships to private schools are not                  to no access to health care services;                  lawful status, and 26 States have failed to do
                                                                                                          Whereas, between 1956 and 1967, the Na-              so for similarly-situated pregnant women;
                                               required to accept these funds. They
                                                                                                        tional Association for the Advancement of                Whereas, between 2016 and 2018, the child
                                               can be returned to the Secretary, and                    Colored People (NAACP) Legal Defense and               uninsured rate increased from 4.7 percent to
                                               the funds will be redistributed to                       Education Fund litigated a series of court             5.2 percent and the Latino child uninsured
                                               States that want the funds.                              cases to eliminate discrimination in hos-              rate increased from 7.7 percent to 8.1 per-
                                                 This bill is about one of the great                    pitals and professional associations;                  cent, and children of color are far more like-
                                               principles of what it means to be an                       Whereas the landmark case Simkins v.                 ly to be uninsured than white children;
                                               American: the principle of equal oppor-                  Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, 323 F.2d                Whereas a climate of fear and confusion for
                                               tunity. For me, equal opportunity                        959 (1963), challenged the Federal Govern-             immigrant families due to the public charge
                                                                                                        ment’s use of public funds to expand, sup-             rule discourages such families from enrolling
                                               means creating an environment in
                                                                                                        port, and sustain segregated hospital care,            eligible children in Medicaid and the Chil-
                                               which the largest number of people can                   and provided justification for title VI of the         dren’s Health Insurance Program;
                                               begin at the starting line. When every-                  1964 Civil Rights Act and the Medicare hos-              Whereas Pacific Islanders from the Freely
                                               one is at the starting line in America,                  pital certification program—establishing               Associated States experience unique health
                                               anything is possible. Giving children                    Medicare hospital racial integration guide-            disparities resulting from United States nu-
                                               more opportunity to attend a better                      lines that applied to every hospital that par-         clear weapons tests on their home islands,
                                               school is the real answer to inequality                  ticipated in the Federal program;                      but such people have been categorically de-
                                               in America.                                                Whereas, in 1967, President Lyndon B.                nied access to Medicaid and other Federal
                                                                                                        Johnson established the National Advisory              health benefits;
                                                                f                                       Commission on Civil Disorders, which con-                Whereas the United States has historically
                                                     SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS                              cluded that white racism is responsible for            facilitated outsider status toward Asian
                                                                                                        the pervasive discrimination and segregation           Americans and Pacific Islanders, such as the
                                                                                                        in employment, education, and housing, re-             authorization of the internment of Japanese
                                               SENATE RESOLUTION 655—DECLAR-                            sulting in deepened racial division and con-           Americans during World War II, which re-
                                                 ING RACISM A PUBLIC HEALTH                             tinued exclusion of Black communities from             sulted in profound economic, social, and psy-
                                                                                                        the benefits of economic progress;                     chological burdens for the people impacted;
                                                 CRISIS                                                   Whereas language minorities, including                 Whereas the history and persistence of rac-
                                                 Mr. BROWN (for himself, Mr. BOOK-                      Latinos, Asian Americans, and Pacific Is-              ist and non-scientific medical beliefs are as-
                                               ER, Ms. HARRIS, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. CAR-                    landers, were not assured non-discriminatory           sociated with ongoing racial disparities in




SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
                                               PER, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. WYDEN, Ms.                          access to Federally-funded services, includ-           treatment and health outcomes;
                                               BALDWIN, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. HEIN-                       ing health services, until the signing of Ex-            Whereas implicit racial and ethnic biases
                                                                                                        ecutive Order 13166 in 2000;                           within the health care system have an im-
                                               RICH, Mr. BENNET, Ms. SMITH, Mr.
                                                                                                          Whereas the Patient Protection and Af-               pact on the quality of care experienced by
                                               CARDIN, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. SANDERS,                     fordable Care Act included provisions to ex-           communities of color, such as the under-
                                               Ms. WARREN, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Ms.                          pand the Medicaid program and—for the first            treatment of pain in Black patients;
                                               KLOBUCHAR, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. MENEN-                       time in the United States—established a                  Whereas the historical context of unethical
                                               DEZ, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Ms. HIRONO, Mrs.                    Federal prohibition against discrimination             practices and abuses experienced by Black




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