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Health Care

In his effort to enact health care reform in 1912, President Theodore Roosevelt described the importance of health care best when he said, “No country can be strong if its people are sick and poor.” These sentiments ring as true today as they did then. Health care is an essential right, and a healthy America is a more productive, safer, and better place to call home.

I was proud that one of my earliest votes in Congress was for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) because it ensures that millions of Americans have access to affordable, quality health care. I will continue to fight—through the appropriations process and otherwise—to protect Americans with preexisting conditions and ensure quality, affordable care for all. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have fought to fund some of the Fifth District’s most important health programs like Planned Parenthood, community health centers, and HIV prevention. I’ve worked to advance critical research and fully fund the National Institutes for Health, which supports groundbreaking developments in cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and countless other conditions.

At the end of  2021, I was proud to see my legislation, Act for ALS, signed into law by President Biden. This law will help people living with ALS get early access to promising treatments and help researchers gain a better understanding of neurodegenerative diseases.

I firmly believe that no person should have to choose between paying rent or putting food on the table and affording life-saving medication. In recent years, the costs of prescription drugs have skyrocketed and placed both an enormous financial, and physical burden on the American people. I was proud to be a vocal supporter of the Inflation Reduction Act. This historic legislation will finally allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug costs. Additionally, it caps the cost of insulin at $35 dollars for Medicare recipients. This was a key win for the American people, but it is just one step. Going forward, I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure all Americans are no longer burdened by excessive drug costs–regardless of how they are insured.