National Rural Health Month

Floor Speech

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Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate National Rural Health Day and National Rural Health Month.

Due to a lack of infrastructure and support, rural communities suffer from the worst health outcomes nationwide. Pharmacy deserts, maternal health deserts, mental health deserts, worker shortages, and more limit people's access to care, sometimes forcing residents to travel 1 hour or longer for primary and emergency care.

These communities that already need help accessing affordable, quality care now face a growing crisis due to draconian cuts to Medicaid and the big, ugly law signed in July, which will make it harder for rural communities to access the care that they need.

Mr. Speaker, 338 rural hospitals from across the country have been identified as at risk, 6 in Virginia, 1 in my district.

I traveled around rural areas during our recesses talking to these providers about their concerns. I was accused by my Republican colleagues of fear-mongering. Yet, I was amplifying the fears that they had. Lo and behold, weeks after visiting some of these providers, three rural providers closed their doors citing the big, ugly law's Medicaid cuts.

A Farmville hospital announced the closure of its labor and delivery unit, citing a reduction in Federal care. We need to do more for our rural communities in providing care, not less.

Mr. Speaker, it's not too late to address this health care crisis of Republicans' making. We can start by permanently extending the enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act to prevent millions more from seeing their premiums skyrocket.

This Rural Health Day, I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to recognize this issue for what it is, and to act now.

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