Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman from Connecticut for yielding. Madam Speaker, more than 2 million Federal employees provide key services to the public. In fact, during the height of the pandemic, Federal workers were critical in delivering vaccines, personal protective equipment, and other COVID relief to the American people. So it stands to reason that when a Federal worker gets sick or injured on the job, we are obligated to provide them and their families with the resources and medical care that they need. Today, we can improve that effort by providing expanded healthcare access for injured Federal workers who are seeking healthcare covered by Federal workers' compensation. We live in a country where people are increasingly turning to nurse practitioners and physician assistants as their primary healthcare provider. This is particularly true in rural America where they are disproportionately impacted by physician shortages. Unfortunately, Federal law now limits what can be reimbursed under Federal workers' compensation, forcing injured workers to see only a physician to certify the injury and disability as work-related and to deliver services. It is time to correct this lag in access to healthcare. After all, core Federal healthcare programs, including Medicare and the Veterans Affairs' system, already recognize services delivered by nurse practitioners and physician assistants if provided within the scope of practice allowed by State law.…”