SPRINGFIELD, MA-On the heels of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declaring racism a serious public health threat, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) penned a piece on Congress’ responsibility to address the interconnected issues of health, economic, and racial inequities. In his piece, published in Health Affairs, the Chairman wrote:
“As we reach the anniversary of our first COVID-19-related lockdowns, I continue to reflect on the crisis and what we have collectively learned. While the pandemic has no doubt been a public health emergency, its stark and disproportionate impact on communities of color-including Black, American Indian, Latino, as well as Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations-has also shown how engrained patterns of inequity are in our society. This reality demands that as we consider the lessons of the last year, we also contemplate the type of future we want to create. From my position as Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, I can see clearly that we must address the interconnected issues of health, economic, and racial inequities.
"Decades of health services research have firmly established the ways in which factors outside of our health care system-access to quality and affordable food, the safety of our neighborhoods, the caliber of educational opportunities-affect our individual health, the health of our communities, and our economy. Likewise, experts outside of health care have long noted how significant economic inequality factors into limiting access to clean air and water, proper nutrition, safer communities, and better education. But public policy has been slow to catch up, tackling these problems in siloes. It’s finally time we address them holistically."
The Chairman went on to give a few examples of the Ways and Means Committee’s past work on this issue, noting that it guides the Committee’s future work on addressing structurally ingrained inequities.
On the Committee’s role moving forward, the Chairman highlighted the Ways and Means Racial Equity Initiative (REI):
“In early March, I launched the Ways and Means Racial Equity Initiative (REI), a working group comprising Committee members and led by Representatives Terri Sewell (D-AL), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), and Steven Horsford (D-NV). The REI is the next phase of the Committee’s efforts to address health and economic inequities that present barriers for many people of color and marginalized communities in the United States. Informed by the legislative policy pillars released in January, the REI will focus and enhance the Committee’s equity work. This dedicated platform will help inform and coordinate our efforts to ensure Committee proceedings and legislation address the root cause of racial inequities that exacerbate health and economic disparities."
Neal concluded: “As elected representatives, my colleagues and I will rely on the voices of our constituents, the cutting-edge research of experts, and the knowledge that there is no option but to find solutions-even if they are incremental. As our late colleague, John Lewis, said: ‘We have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history.’ Although John is sadly no longer here to guide us from the dais in the 117th Congress, I will ensure the Democrats of the Ways and Means Committee are prepared to answer that call and honor his legacy. There’s a long road ahead, and the COVID-19 crisis is far from over, but we remain committed to building a just and equitable road to recovery. The work continues."
