Political Quotes

“I rise today to honor National Rural Health Month and to honor the men and women who keep healthcare alive in America's small towns and rural communities. As co-chair of the Congressional Bipartisan Rural Health Caucus, I am proud to join my colleagues in leading an effort to ensure the millions of Americans who live in rural areas, including the hardworking people of Tennessee's First District, receive the same quality of care as anyone else in the Nation. In northeast Tennessee, rural healthcare is a lifeline to people, especially those who live in remote areas and are limited or have no mode of transportation. They depend on a nurse to drive during the night and before dawn to check on a patient or the pharmacist who knows every family by name and stretches every dollar to keep medicine affordable. It is the doctor who stays late to see one more patient because there is no one else to take the next shift. These are the people who form the backbone of our rural healthcare communities, and they deserve a system that works as hard for them as they do for us. The truth is, rural healthcare has always faced an uphill battle. When a rural hospital shuts down, it just doesn't take away healthcare. It takes away jobs, stability, and peace of mind. It means longer drives for emergency care, fewer options for expectant mothers, and limited access for seniors and veterans who depend on those services the most.”