Raul Ruiz

Addressing the social determinants of health and creating greater health equity has long been one of the top priorities of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

It’s remarkable that in today we`re still fighting to give farm workers access to clean water and cool spaces to take breaks when it’s 115 degrees outside.

This is groundbreaking. This is incredible. This is the spear of much more to come, the tip of an iceberg.

Today I want to talk about H.R. 3013, the COVID Vaccine Transportation Access Act.

I applaud the work of the Biden administration to give vaccines to underserved areas.

The problem is not hesitancy, it is access.

I must say that this is a very good set of vaccine equity bills that we are putting forward.

So don't come now with your newfound concerns about the plight of children in U.S. custody when you were justifying and defending the policy of ripping children from their mothers' arms.

This bill passed the House, and every Republican on this hearing who voted voted against these humanitarian standards.

I am encouraged to see the Biden administration working to reverse the failed policies implemented by the previous administration based on hate, fear, demonization of immigrants.

There has been great progress. And we're here to ensure that children are our priority in this matter.

We want them into the smaller facilities.

Look, I've spoken with President Biden and Secretaries Mayorkas and Becerra about developing a civilian humanitarian response team to help with border crossing surges.

We need to shift now from that model to a grassroot, community-based model, working with community health promoters

My bill, the Emergency OASIS Act, would give EPA the authority to step in and provide drinking water

The purpose of the Superfund program is to clean up some of the most hazardous and contaminated sites in our Nation that remain a threat to the public's health.

My Republican colleague, Dr. Bucshon, and I worked with several of our colleagues in a bipartisan manner to craft a solution that would, first and foremost, protect the patient from surprise medical bills.

I think that is very, very critical, to partner with local communities and taking the vaccines to the people.

I can say firsthand that President Biden's Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, mobile clinics, and direct vaccine allocation to FQHCs are effective.

It is not fair that America has to pay three times as much as other countries on the exact same medication.

It is about the dad who can't afford the medication for his child and has to decide every month whether to cut corners on food for the family or medicine for his child.

You cannot disassociate our environmental health with our public health and individuals' health.

This is about the decisions and actions of the powerful affecting the health and well-being of the powerless.

I appreciate working with you, because I know in your heart you are about helping the environmental justice community.

Equity needs to be part of the design, not an afterthought of policy.