Act on Physician Shortage

Floor Speech

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Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the healthcare crisis that we have in America today--primarily, the physician shortage that exists throughout the entire United States. It is a crisis that we must do something about.

In the next 15 years, the United States is expected to face a shortfall of over 4,000 primary care physicians alone. Rural and low- income communities, many of which I represent, are expected to feel the brunt of this shortage, communities such as those in California, like the San Joaquin Valley.

The San Joaquin Valley has the lowest number of physicians in the State, approximately 0.9 physicians per 1,000 people. That is less than one. The statewide average is 2.2 physicians for every 1,000 people, which is twice as many.

Last week, I introduced legislation to help tackle this crisis. The Expanding Medical Education Act of 2020 will provide over $200 million in funding to promote medical training in areas of high need throughout the country, like the San Joaquin Valley, with a focus on diverse and medically deprived communities.

We have Governor Gavin Newsom's and our local legislators' support on this legislation. Medical institutions, such as the University of California, San Francisco, have used funding from this effort to train and develop homegrown physicians under the residency program for 45 years in the valley and throughout the State. It is very important.

We have discovered that when you train physicians locally, residents, they are more inclined to practice in that area--in our case, in the valley--and bring healthcare to our communities.

Studies consistently show that students who can find quality education near their homes and families will be more likely to stay there after graduation. It is just common sense.

Growing our own doctors is essential to confronting this medical crisis, and I will continue to fight for every dollar to ensure that our valley residents have access to the necessary healthcare that they deserve. Recognizing Tom Flores

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Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I also rise today to recognize the career of Tom Flores, a trailblazer in the Latino/Hispanic communities in professional football. It is appropriate. With the Super Bowl coming up this Sunday, I can't think of a better time to do it.

A native of my hometown, Fresno, California, Tom Flores was a gifted athlete, both in high school and college, and, later, in professional football. He played for the Oakland Raiders, becoming the first Hispanic starting quarterback in professional football.

Tom's success didn't stop there. After ending his playing career, he went on to win Super Bowl XI as the assistant coach for the Raiders in 1977. Then, 4 years later, he again led the team to victory as head coach, becoming the first Hispanic coach to win a Super Bowl, both in 1980 and in 1983. He won it twice.

To this day, he is one of only two people in history to win multiple Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach, and a head coach. Mike Ditka is the only other coach who falls in that category.

Tom Flores is terrific. He left professional football with a record of 97 wins and 87 losses as head coach, including a playoff record of 8 wins and 3 losses, including a stint as head coach and general manager of the Seattle Seahawks.

Since retiring, Tom Flores has used his influence to bring educational opportunities to the valley, his home, a place he has never, ever forgotten, through the Tom Flores Youth Foundation effort. Over the years, he has raised nearly $2 million to support local school districts in science, art, and athletic programs.

Sadly, Tom Flores was short of the required votes needed for induction into the Professional Football Hall of Fame, and this is not the first time he has been passed over.

This week, I am introducing a resolution calling for the recognition of his significant accomplishments in the sport and his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame--well deserved and overdue.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and honor the invaluable contributions that Coach Tom Flores has made to his community, to his country, and to America's game.

We have the Super Bowl this Sunday. We will all be watching it, I am sure. I know Tom Flores will be. He deserves to be in the national Pro Football Hall of Fame at Canton, Ohio. I can't think of anyone more deserving than Coach Tom Flores.

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