Kathy Castor: “I thank Congressman Green for being an outspoken advocate for his constituents, but especially for affordable healthcare…”

“I thank Congressman Green for being an outspoken advocate for his constituents, but especially for affordable healthcare for all Americans, especially children. It has been a privilege serving with him. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the families with children with complex medical needs all across America, I rise to urge approval of the IMPROVE Act, which includes a bill that I have been working on for a number of years with Representative Joe Barton called the ACE Kids Act. We drafted the Advancing Care for Exceptional Kids Act a few years ago with the simple but important goal of putting families and children first. The bill authorizes the creation of cost-saving and time-saving health homes where specialized care is coordinated in a high-quality setting. Mr. Speaker, the children with complex medical conditions and their families are heroic. Caroline West in Tampa, Florida, has a rare genetic condition, also cerebral palsy and a seizure disorder. She can't walk. It is very difficult for her to speak, but she is able to attend school part-time and enjoys the life of a typical teenager, in many respects. Lucy Ferlita is the only living person in the United States with early onset myopathy with areflexia, respiratory distress, and dysphagia. Very little is known about this disease, but what we know is that it is very difficult for her to eat.…”