Barbara Lee: “First let me thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for offering this extremely important amendment, and I fully support…”

“First let me thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for offering this extremely important amendment, and I fully support it. Social factors such as poverty, substandard housing, and unsafe neighborhoods are critical drivers of health outcomes. I share the gentleman's concern and agree that we need to better understand how environmental conditions such as these play a role in human health. Let me just say to the gentleman, we work very closely with the Black, Hispanic, and Asian Pacific American Caucus in terms of our health strategies with regard to communities of color to close health disparities. This amendment is so important in those efforts. I would note, also, that the committee report accompanying the Labor- HHS appropriations bill encourages the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to clarify and disseminate strategies to States to address social determinants of health in the Medicaid and CHIP programs. I thank the gentleman once again for offering this amendment and urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''”