Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today to offer an amendment to H.R. 987, the Strengthening Health Care and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act. The navigator program is crucial to communities like El Paso, where we have one of the highest uninsured rates in the State of Texas. Navigators provide free assistance to my constituents as they maneuver through the marketplace to find a healthcare plan that is right for them. When funded adequately, these programs help decrease the uninsured population across the country. However, the Trump administration has sought to cut funding for the navigator program in its plan to systematically undermine the Affordable Care Act. By slashing the program's funding by 84 percent over the last 2 years, the total funds allotted for it now stands at $10 million. To exemplify these draconian cuts, consider this: In 2017, there were nine navigator programs funded in Texas and two operating in El Paso County. In 2018, the number of navigator programs in Texas dropped to just two, with only one now operating in El Paso County. This presents a challenge to States and districts like mine that have seen their populations increase over the past decade. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has coupled these deep cuts with a rule overturning a requirement for navigator programs to train their assisters to help individuals with chronic illnesses and limited English proficiency.…”