Bonnie Watson Coleman

This is just absurd. This is--this is absurd to me that Puerto Rico still has such a tremendous need for fundamental things like a decent house, some plumbing, some sewers, some access to drinking water, a telephone connection, whatever…

You have been talking around in circles since I have been here.

As far as I am concerned, you all aren't doing your job, and you need to do your job.

So is it in the appropriations bill? So then you violated the appropriations bill?

You need to get the resources to Puerto Rico. You need to get the resources to the Virgin Islands. It does not escape me these are black and brown islands.

I made it a priority to address the gaps in our healthcare system which result in black mothers dying at 2-6 times the rate of their white peers.

I hope you will look to REACH grantees for lessons learned in how to address racial health disparities.

I know that you, Madame Chair, and this subcommittee are committed to protecting the ACA and expanding access to healthcare for all Americans.

If the ACA were to be struck down... nearly 50,000 people would lose their healthcare insurance.

If the ACA were to be struck down by the courts in Texas v. Azar, nearly 50,000 people would lose their health insurance.

The Affordable Care Act has been a literal lifeline for many in my district.

We are pushing legislation important to addressing health disparities among black women and girls.

The Healthy MOM Act has the potential to be part of that solution.

For black mothers, who are often provided lower quality maternal care when they can access care at all, the ACA's requirement to cover pregnancy, labor, delivery and newborn care as essential benefits in health plans was absolutely…

the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been a literal lifeline for many in my district, New Jersey's 12th Congressional district, as well as in communities of color across the nation.

I come before you today to ask for your commitment to addressing the inequities that our healthcare institutions and structures create.

The Homestead facility has been in existence and in use since when, November of last year?

Through the chair, if that is possible, not only would I like to know the numbers of the representation, I would like to know whatever efforts are being used.

I think that is very interesting concept.

So that leaves feeding and sleeping and bathing perhaps.

We are still paying $600 a night.

Are you able to isolate the amount of resources that have been identified for looking at these issues?

Are you shutting Carrizo down?

I don't understand why you think that this for-profit company is more capable of developing curriculum standards for these children than those people who are sanctioned and educated and certified by the State of Florida.

The educational offering that we saw at Homestead was really very disturbing.