Jill Tokuda: “As you have seen here today, both Democrat and Republican, it doesn't matter which side of the aisle that we may sit and…”

“As you have seen here today, both Democrat and Republican, it doesn't matter which side of the aisle that we may sit and serve on, but at the end of the day, it is about taking care of all of our constituents and everyone that lives in rural and remote America. Mr. Speaker, 80 percent of rural America is considered medically underserved and faces significant barriers to care, including geographic distances and lack of reliable transportation, fewer healthcare providers and medical facilities, lack of primary care and specialty services, and limited insurance options. As a result of these barriers, rural residents often experience worse health outcomes than their urban counterparts simply because of their inability to access healthcare. Rural residents have a higher risk of dying early from cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, heart disease, stroke, and unintentional injuries. Many of these deaths are absolutely 100 percent preventable. In my district, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders experience greater rates of heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes, and Asian Americans often experience higher rates of late-stage cancer diagnoses. To ensure people living in rural and remote communities have access to quality healthcare, we must do more to keep more rural hospitals and clinics open, increase capacity and support for rural providers, and eliminate barriers to care for our rural patients, all things you have heard from my colleagues today.…”