State Offices of Rural Health Reauthorization Act of 2018

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2278, the State Offices of Rural Health Reauthorization Act of 2018. I thank Chair Walden and incoming Chair Pallone, along with Congressman Schrader and Congressman Mullin, for their work on this important legislation.

This legislation would reauthorize the Federal grant program that supports Offices of Rural Health in each State, including the Charles D. Cook Office of Rural Health with the New York State Department of Health for the first time.

These offices assist States in strengthening rural health delivery systems and improving access to quality services in rural areas. This work is particularly important because patients and providers in rural communities can face obstacles that can: result in reduced access to care, increase health disparities, and inhibit individuals from experiencing optimal health.

To ensure that States can continue to meet the requirements of this grant program, this reauthorization legislation provides new flexibility for State offices to meet their Federal match requirements, as well as to request a waiver that would allow the State office to continue to receive Federal funding if an office faces an extreme hardship in meeting that requirement.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 2278, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. Speaker, I rise in support, again, of the legislation before us.

I want to commend Congressmen Schrader and Mullin for their great work on this important legislation. It shows great sensitivity to the healthcare needs of rural America and to the corresponding health delivery systems. For that reason alone, this is worthy of our unanimous support.

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