On the recordMarch 26, 2015
I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone). Mr. Speaker, this is a good day for medical providers and for our seniors. This is also a good day for the House of Representatives. This is bipartisanship at its best. With the passage of H.R. 2, seniors will no longer have to worry about losing their physicians. Providers will have the certainty to continue to serve their Medicare patients. But this bill, Mr. Speaker, is about more than fixing Medicare. It also includes a 2-year extension of the CHIP program, which is children's health insurance, and funding for community health centers that is set to expire this fall. Both programs are vital to the low- income vulnerable and rural communities that I represent in North Carolina. The CHIP program covers more than 8 million children across the country, including many in my State. It helps provide health coverage to children who are not eligible for Medicaid but cannot afford other insurance. The community health center program funds 1,300 health centers across the country. Without this extension, the program would expire, and care for 7.4 million patients would be jeopardized. Supporting this bill is about providing access to care for the most vulnerable Americans. I urge my colleagues in the House and the Senate to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 2.
