Washington, DC - Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) delivered remarks at a Health Subcommittee hearing titled, “Health Care Inequality: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in COVID-19 and the Health Care System."
As Prepared For Delivery
The last few months have been an unprecedented and challenging time. Americans all over the country are raising their voices to raise long overdue awareness to the systematic challenges facing the black community in America.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 has shaken the very fabric of the nation, with over 2 million positive cases and over 115,000 deaths. There’s no question the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on communities of color - seen primarily in terms of poorer health outcomes, but it has also manifested both socially and economically.
According to the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Indian/Alaska Native persons have a COVID-19 hospitalization rate about five times that of white people, followed by black people, who have a hospitalization rate four and a half times that of white people. Hispanics and Latinos have a hospitalization rate three and a half times that of whites.
We know this isn’t just an American problem. All over the globe, minority and underserved communities have suffered disproportionally from the pandemic. In the United Kingdom, the Office for National Statistics found that COVID-19-related deaths for ethnic groups in England and Wales exceeded those of white ethnicity. In the UK, Black males and females are over four times more likely to die from a COVID-19-related death than their white counterparts. The same was found to be true for people of Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Indian, and mixed ethnicities.
After seeing these alarming trends, last month, Dr. Burgess, the Republican Leader on the Health Subcommittee, sent a letter to the majority requesting a hearing on this very issue, including how Congress can help reduce these disparities. I’d like to express my thanks to the majority for fulfilling Dr. Burgess’s request today.
We know that chronic health conditions, older age, and congregate living increase the risk of complications and death from COVID-19. However, these facts do not explain the full story as to why certain racial and ethnic groups have borne an undue share of the burden of this public health crisis. We need to better understand these differences in health outcomes and how best to improve them. At a hearing earlier this month with some of our nation’s governors, the Committee heard the disastrous and devastating consequences of some states forcing COVID positive patients back into nursing homes. This misguided policy unfortunately exacerbated the suffering and mortality left in the wake of the virus, and its tragic effects were felt disproportionately across many minority communities.
The Trump administration has already taken steps to ensure vulnerable populations have access to testing, care, and other critical resources during this pandemic. It is my hope that every member of this committee will be willing to work alongside the administration to address disparities in all vulnerable populations.
The economic downturn caused by the stay at home orders and lockdowns has exacerbated the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable communities. While these policies were needed to flatten the curve and slow the spread of infections, they have had an undeniable impact on minority communities. A recent study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that the number of open black-owned businesses fell 41 percent - that’s an astounding and extremely troubling number. Open Hispanic-owned businesses fell by 32 percent, Asian-owned businesses fell 26 percent, and immigrant-owned businesses dropped by 36 percent.
Many hourly workers have lost their jobs and are without work. Unemployment claims have skyrocketed, despite the better-than-expected jobs numbers for the month of May. We know that unemployment and financial strains are associated with higher stress, increased risk of mental illness, and increased risk for substance abuse -all of which lead to poorer health outcomes.
I believe that safely reopening the economy, maintaining targeted social distancing, and focusing resources where they are most needed will help minority communities the most.
As I stated in the last hearing - Listen, learn, act. As a country, we should be listening to others with different viewpoints and backgrounds, learning about their experiences and feelings, and taking action to ensure justice and equality are available to all Americans, regardless of skin color.
I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today on this important topic, and I again thank the Majority for having this hearing. With that, I yield back.
