Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call upon my colleagues to set up and extend funding for community health clinics. Community health centers are a vital resource for millions of Americans, providing more coverage at a lower cost. These healthcare providers serve our underserved communities. In rural districts like mine on the central coast of California, they are sometimes the only healthcare provider close enough for patients to receive immediate or long-term care. They provide prenatal care, annual checkups, and lifesaving screenings. In my district, there are nine federally funded health centers serving approximately 190,000 patients from Santa Cruz to Seaside and from the Salinas Valley to San Benito County. They have dedicated staff that serve the unique and multilingual and multicultural needs of the patients in my district. Without proper funding, these vital community health centers may be forced to reduce their hours of operation, lay off staff, or even close their doors. We must support our community health centers not just on the central coast of California, but across this Nation. These clinics, their patients, and the people we serve deserve our support. I ask Congress to support our community health clinics. ____________________”