Xochitl Torres Small

I have met teenagers in crisis who face a long waiting list for a much-needed mental health appointment.

Members of this committee, even with the hardships rural communities face, we are often the first to be forgotten when legislators and healthcare experts discuss healthcare quality, access, and affordability.

I think it is clear that one way to increase healthcare access in rural areas is increasing the number of doctors serving them.

Access to basic healthcare leads nearly every conversation, because in southern New Mexico, it's not just about healthcare affordability, it's also about healthcare accessibility.

I love our values and way of life, but our rural communities are facing increased hardships like never before.

I have met expecting mothers who have to drive for hours for every single prenatal appointment.

This bipartisan legislation takes critical steps toward reducing nationwide physician shortages.

Our rural communities are important threads to the fabric of our nation.

I have met veterans who have to get on a bus in the middle of the night to get to a doctor's appointment in Albuquerque the next day.

One way to increase healthcare access in rural areas is increasing the number of doctors serving them.

Now, fortunately, we have in the Senate some type of potential agreement to fund the humanitarian crisis over there at least, which has been rejected I think 17 times by my Democrat colleagues in the House.

Instead of blaming President Trump, I wish we would put the blame where it belongs, with these smugglers, with the cartels, with the people that are abusing these migrants.

Last year we had two pieces of legislation that I know of where we could have changed our policies to help stop this flow of the smugglers exploiting migrants. But not one of my Democratic colleagues voted yes.

These disasters demonstrate that at a moment's notice FEMA may need to assist thousands of survivors.

I was troubled by your comment that you don't see systemic problems.

FEMA cannot prepare for every eventuality. But as the frequency and severity of natural disasters increase, it is as important as ever that the agency take corrective action to better execute its no-fail mission.

I know there is a right way to do this. It is to follow the science.

I express my deep concern regarding the Department of Defense's failure to proactively address PFAS contaminants.

Family separation should never be a solution for our broken immigration system. It is immoral.

I believe that every child who presents to our border upon arriving, having fled conditions of trauma in their countries of origin, and as we have discussed, may have faced trauma during the journey, the trauma should stop.

We have to ensure that our agents on the ground have the adequate resources and technology to effectively patrol these areas.