On the recordJuly 16, 2019
before our distinguished leader and chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee leaves, I want to thank him for his hard work. Having grown up in a small, rural community in Northern Michigan, I can speak directly to how important healthcare services are. My mother was director of nursing at a small hospital, and I know, since that time, they have gone through many changes, barely holding on to the hospital. We have had a number of hospital closings and consolidations. There is important work that has happened in the health community. I want to congratulate the distinguished chairman and also indicate that the Presiding Officer and I, as we were doing the farm bill--it is my honor and privilege to work with the Presiding Officer--we were part of the solution, including language on telehealth in rural development to actually help expand services, and I think telehealth is an important way to do that as well. I thank the chairman for his comments.
