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.
Though no bill is perfect, I’m proud to have voted for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) because it ensures that millions of Americans have access to affordable, quality health care. Gone are the days that an insurance company can drop someone’s coverage due to a preexisting condition or impose lifetime spending caps on coverage. 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 also been proud to work to advance critical research and development and fully fund the National Institutes for Health (NIH), which supports groundbreaking developments in cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and countless other conditions.
The U.S. health system is built on innovation, and the Chicago area is home to some of the world’s brightest leaders in the health care industry. As your Member of Congress, I understand how Chicagoans benefit from being on the cutting edge of health care, cultivated through public private partnerships and direct investment, and I will continue to work to ensure every American has access to the best care possible.
Rep. Mike Quigley joined over 50 of his colleagues to urge the President to lead an international response to combat the spread of the Zika virus.
Rep. Mike Quigley partnered with Howard Brown Health to urge the Chicago LGBT community to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
Rep. Mike Quigley urged his colleagues on the House floor to fully fund Planned Parenthood so that women have access to safe and effective birth control, which reduces the number of unplanned pregnancies.
More on Health Care
Aug 26, 2016
Editorials
Today, August 26, we celebrate Women’s Equality Day - a day to commemorate the 1920 ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. As the father of two daughters, the ongoing struggle for women’s equality is very personal for me. That’s why it has been an honor during my time in Congress to support women’s rights by advocating for reproductive rights, equal pay, access to paid maternity leave and quality child care.
Jul 26, 2016
Press Release
U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), Vice-Chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, released the following statement regarding the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) announcement that a public docket will be established to request comments on potential changes to the current blood donor deferral policy.
Jul 12, 2016
Editorials
Our current blood donation policy for gay and bisexual men reinforces tired stereotypes about gay men. Is this really the message we want to send to many healthy young men who go to donate blood for the first time, maybe at their high school blood drive or to help a friend or family member in need -- that their blood is worth less because of whom they love?
Jun 20, 2016
Press Release
U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (IL-05), Vice-Chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, Barbara Lee (CA-13), Jared Polis (CO-02), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23), Diana DeGette (CO-01), and Alcee Hastings (FL-20) led a bipartisan letter signed by over 100 House colleagues calling on Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert M. Califf to end the discriminatory blood donation deferral policy for men who have sex with men (MSM) once and for all. The current policy for MSM requires a 12-month deferral, or celibacy, period before being able to donate blood.
Jun 19, 2016
In the News
You are looking at live pictures from Orlando, we’re waiting for a memorial to begin within the next 90 minutes at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke; it will followed by a candlelight vigil to honor the 49 victims of the Pulse nightclub tragedy. An estimated 20,000 people expected to attend that vigil. In the wake of the shooting tragedy, blood banks in Orlando and around the country quickly put out the call for donors, and many lined up to give, but gay and bisexual men who wanted to help were turned away, renewing calls to loosen restrictions that some say perpetuate a stigma.