Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2018

Floor Speech

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Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague, Congressman Joyce, who has been a great leader on these issues relating to our nursing workforce. I appreciate working with him as co-chair of the House Congressional Nursing Caucus, where we are able to bring a lot of these issues and challenges to life.

We all know that nurses and caregivers are the heartbeat of our healthcare providers. Day in and day out, they provide lifesaving care with empathy, compassion, and care in the most trying and stressful situations. But across the country, we continue to see nursing workforce shortages, especially in our rural and underserved communities, like many in my home State of Hawaii where people on different islands are literally separated by a body of water sometimes from getting access to the care that they need.

In the next 2 years alone, the United States is on track to face a shortage of nearly 200,000 nursing professionals. These shortages not only drive up the cost of healthcare for those most in need, but they actually endanger the wellbeing and care of our patients.

As our healthcare system faces heightened and complex challenges, like an aging population, increase in chronic diseases, an ever- worsening opioid epidemic, and so much more, our healthcare workers must have the training they need to address the needs of our communities.

Reauthorizing Federal funding for vital programs that provide nurses with training, education, and support, will help grow our nursing workforce, both in my home State of Hawaii and across the country, and expand access to the quality care for our children, our veterans, our seniors, and all of our communities.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, and empower our nurses and healthcare professionals to continue serving and caring for the people in our communities.

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