CBCF STATEMENT ON STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

CBCF Chairman and President Laud President for Winning the Future

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama has asked Americans to join him as he outlined his vision for winning the future of America. His call for competitiveness through quality education and entrepreneurship, stimulating the job market with new technology and infrastructure repair, reducing the deficit, and ending healthcare disparities speaks to the promise of the American dream and its promise for our children and generations to come.

His vision is especially touted within the African-American community where unemployment is in double digits, the death rate for African Americans is higher than whites for heart diseases, stroke, cancer, asthma, influenza and pneumonia, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and in spite of a half of century of school integration, the achievement gap is widening among African-American students and Asian and white students.

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) supports the president in his call to meet these challenges. Through its daily work to develop leaders, inform policy and educate the public, CBCF will continue to identify, develop and support young adults who are interested in public service and building a new economy through its stellar Leadership Institute of Public Service. We will continue to educate communities on preventive health care and work toward ending health disparities that have disproportionate rates in communities of colors. We will also continue to make inroads to bridge the wealth gap by providing information on lifelong financial planning and wealth-building. We are inspired by the president and his remarks asking Americans to work together in a bipartisan manner to improve economic conditions, promote better health outcomes and serve as a catalyst for access to education and jobs. As a nation, we want to do “big things.”

As a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, we also join the president in challenging all Americans to end the vitriolic tone of speech that has become too much a part of our daily lexicon and replace it with thought and consideration before speaking to our families, speaking in our communities and speaking to our government officials.

Donald M. Payne

Chairman, CBCF Inc.

Elsie L. Scott, Ph.D

President and CEO

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Inc. was established in 1976 as a
nonpartisan, nonprofit, public policy, research and education institute to help improve the socioeconomic circumstances of African Americans and other underserved communities.

In the midst of the ongoing debate over health care reform in our nation, there are some undeniable facts regarding the wellness of the African-American community. Blacks in our nation suffer disproportionately from chronic illnesses and there is growing concern that these conditions pass from generation to generation. While political rhetoric rages and legal challenges to the new health care law abound, there are life and death issues affecting the community that we need to address as a matter of principle.

The statistics are stark. According to the Office of Minority Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, African-American adults are 1.5 times more likely to have a stroke and 1.5 times more likely to die from a stroke than their white counterparts. Black Americans are twice as likely as white adults to receive a diagnosis of diabetes by a physician. African Americans accounted for 49 percent of HIV/AIDS cases in 2007 despite our being only 13 percent of the total U.S. population. In 2005, the death rate for African Americans was higher than whites for heart diseases, stroke, cancer, asthma, influenza and pneumonia, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and homicide. Clearly, health care is not a luxury for African Americans: it is a matter of life and death.

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) has produced a Health Reform Guide to inform the African-American community about the new health care law and to empower Blacks to become more engaged in advocating for health care resources in their communities. The guide commissioned by CBCF under the direction of Dr. Marjorie Innocent, our resident health policy expert, is unique for its extensive overview of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2009. It is available on our website at www.cbcfinc.org.

CBCF is aware that the complexities of the new law might be overwhelming to the average consumer but is working to make certain that African Americans take full advantage of the historic legislation. The availability of affordable, quality health insurance is essential for better health and wellness throughout the lifespan and why we are working hard to improve the current proportion of African Americans with health insurance.

In 2007, according to the Office of Minority Health, 49 percent of African Americans used employer-based health insurance compared to 66 percent of non-Hispanic whites.

In addition, 23.8 percent of African Americans depended on public health insurance compared to 9 percent of non-Hispanic whites, and 19.5 percent of African Americans were uninsured in contrast to 10.4 percent of non-Hispanic whites.

At the same time, the new law goes beyond expanding health insurance coverage toward the goal of achieving health equity in America. Through provisions designed to make preventive services more affordable and accessible, expand community-based health care, strengthen our public health system and health workforce, and improve the quality of health care as well as data collection and reporting, the law takes a comprehensive approach to addressing the health needs of all Americans and tackling our nation’s growing health disparities along racial/ethnic, socio-economic and geographic lines.

The rhetoric around repealing the new health reform law dismisses the serious nature of chronic conditions afflicting millions of Americans and the repercussions for our country. The 111^th Congress demonstrated great courage and leadership in passing the landmark health reform legislation and CBCF fully supports the spirit and intent of the new law. Despite ongoing efforts to repeal it, CBCF will continue its efforts to expand African Americans’ awareness and understanding of the law and its potential for improving quality of life for individuals, families and communities nationwide.

Rep. Donald M. Payne

Chairman

Congressional Black Caucus Foundation

Elsie L. Scott, Ph.D.

President and CEO

Congressional Black Caucus Foundation

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc., established in 1976, is a non-partisan, non-profit, public policy, research and educational institute intended to broaden and elevate the influence of African Americans in the political, legislative and public policy arenas.

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