Political Quotes

“I commend the Chairman, Mr. Bilirakis, and the Ranking Member, Mr. Brown, for introducing this valuable legislation. I particularly want to thank the Members for the special attention given to rural health care in the bill. Access and quality of health care in rural America is of particular importance to me. I represent the largest geographic district east of the Mississippi. Recently, compounding changes in Medicare reimbursement and regulations have had a devastating impact on my district, and have endangered a very vulnerable population of my state. People in rural areas do not have the same choices available to those in urban areas. I am concerned that the rate of the uninsured in Maine continues to grow. Maine citizens rely heavily on community care, and we ought to promote research into enhancing quality of and access to health care in these areas. Careful studies of the delivery of health services in rural America will allow us to make better public policy, and I thank the Chairman and Ranking Member for their attention to this issue.”