Health Care
In 2010, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed to provide Americans with access to affordable and quality health care. While not perfect, the ACA provides millions of Americans with health care coverage that they may not otherwise have access to. It also prohibits denial of care for individuals with pre-existing conditions, an estimated 54 million people. Additionally, the ACA outlines essential health benefits that must be covered by insurance companies, including critical services like mental health and maternity care.
Attacks on American Health Care
Unfortunately, Republicans in Congress and the Trump Administration continue to undermine the ACA and have made a concerted effort to strip the health protections this legislation affords patients. These efforts to undermine the ACA have included expanding the sale of short-term junk plans, limiting consumer enrollment assistance, weakening federal standards, and asking the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to invalidate the entirety of the ACA. Furthermore, protections and access to health care for women and LGBTQ+ individuals continue to be limited. You may find more specific information about my efforts to protect access to women’s health care here.
I recognize that the ACA is instrumental in improving access, quality, and affordability for millions, improving public health outcomes and quality of life. My Democratic colleagues and I vow to fight for protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions and address the rising cost of health care. Some of the bills I have cosponsored this Congress to do just this are:
- H.R. 987, the Strengthening Health Care and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act, as passed by the House of Representatives, promotes generic competition, restores funding for ACA enrollment and outreach activities, rescinds the rule promoting junk insurance plans, and strengthens protections for patients with pre-existing conditions.
- H.R. 1884, the Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions and Making Health Care More Affordable Act, would lower health insurance premiums by expanding affordability assistance, strengthen protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and stop insurance companies from selling junk health insurance plans.
- H.Res.271, as passed in the House, urges the Department of Justice to cease its efforts against the ACA and reverse its position in Texas v. United States.
Opioid Crisis
The opioid epidemic is a national crisis and a public health emergency that has taken thousands of lives. In fact, it is estimated that over 130 people die each day in the United States from an opioid overdose. Ensuring state and local governments have access to adequate resources is critical to reducing the number of deaths from opioids and providing individuals with the treatment and services they need. I have cosponsored H.R. 2569, the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency (CARE) Act of 2019, to help provide this much needed investment to combat the opioid epidemic. This bill would provide more than $100 billion over ten years to fight the opioid crisis.
Community Health Centers
Community Health Centers (CHCs) play a critical role in providing comprehensive, quality, affordable care to low-income populations in our community. In New Jersey, CHCs served 569,965 patients across 24 health centers at 137 sites. A majority of these patients are uninsured, publicly-insured, or low income. CHCs play a vital role in the health of our communities, which is why I continue to be an advocate on Capitol Hill for CHCs. In addition to supporting annual appropriations requests, I have cosponsored bills which will provide much-needed funding to CHCs, including:
- H.R. 2328, the Community Health Investment, Modernization, and Excellence Act of 2019, would reauthorize and extend funding for community health centers and the National Health Service Corps.
- H.R. 1943, the Community Health Center and Primary Care Workforce Expansion Act of 2019, would fund Federally Qualified Health Centers and the National Health Service Corps.
More on Health Care
Last week, I joined my colleagues in passing the historic Inflation Reduction Act to help families squeezed by inflation address the rising cost of living, lower health care costs, make sure the wealthy pay their fair share in taxes, and make large strides toward our climate goals.
Votes
Last week, I joined my colleagues in the House in passing several important pieces of legislation, including an assault weapons ban, a package of investments in domestic semiconductor development and scientific research, a whole-of-government response to droughts and wildfires, and legislation to ensure access to telehealth after the pandemic ends.
Last week, I joined my colleagues in the House in passing several important pieces of legislation, including the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and two bills to protect access to reproductive health care. I also signed onto letters to urge the Senate to take action on immigration reform and to urge the EPA to use its existing authorities to protect millions of Americans from air pollutants and joined legislation to condemn the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and commit Congress to advancing reproductive justice.
Last week, the House of Representatives took several important votes to improve gun safety and address rampant gun violence, as well as to reauthorize Food and Drug Administration programs, strengthen small business apprenticeship programs, and improve the nation’s water infrastructure and flood mitigation, among other bills. I also joined a resolution declaring gun violence a national public health crisis, as well as legislation to support the mental health of students and offer skill building opportunities to teachers.
This week, I grieved with the rest of the nation as another mass shooting stole the lives of innocent children and urged the Senate to pass background check reforms which have already passed the House of Representatives. I also cosponsored legislation to recognize educator mental health, improve mental health services for LGBTQ+ youth, and include underrepresented communities in clinical trials.
To begin the appropriations process for fiscal year 2023, I shared my funding requests with the House Appropriations Committee. These requests assist the Appropriations Committee in drafting appropriations bills which ultimately fund the government. This year, I led letters requesting funding to address the root causes of irregular migration and support democracy programs in Cuba, as well as co-led a letter with Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) to request robust funding to address the humanitarian and refugee crisis in Venezuela.
Last week, I joined a letter to President Biden to ban the use of cluster munitions. I also joined legislation to honor black maternal health week and to increase students’ environmental literacy.
This week, I joined my colleagues in passing several important pieces of legislation which would cap the cost of lifesaving insulin, improve access to child care and long-term care services, address sexual harassment in transportation, make improvements to retirement plans, and decriminalize marijuana. In addition, I signed onto letters to urge the administration to include Taiwan in an international economic framework, relieve the burden of student loan debt, and include COVID-19 centers as a protected area from immigration enforcement.
This week, I signed onto a letter to express support for advancing funds to invest in the care economy and urge House and Senate leadership to allocate funds to safety net health providers, and cosponsored legislation to allow drug manufacturers to use humane alternatives to animal testing.
This week, the House of Representatives passed important pieces of legislation to fund the government and invest in the American people in fiscal year 2022, support the Ukrainian people as they defend their country from Russia’s unjust invasion, and ban imports of Russian oil. In addition, I introduced legislation with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) to restart the Cuba Family Reunification Program.