May 9, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 77 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Page H3509]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1215
          DELIVERING BETTER HEALTHCARE ACCESS TO CONSTITUENTS

  (Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Madam Speaker, I rise to call 
attention to the challenges rural communities face to access basic 
healthcare.
  In New Mexico, I have seen, firsthand, health challenges these areas 
face. They include expectant mothers who have to drive for hours, often 
across State lines, for every single prenatal appointment.
  They include veterans who have to get on the bus in the middle of the 
night for a doctor's appointment in Albuquerque the next day.
  It includes teenagers in crisis facing a long waiting list for a 
much-needed mental health appointment.
  And it includes rural and community hospitals on the verge of closing 
their doors. This is what rural America faces.
  Even with these hardships, we are often the first to be forgotten 
when legislators and healthcare experts discuss healthcare quality, 
access, and affordability.
  So as Congress begins discussing how to decrease the cost of 
healthcare insurance, to lower the cost of prescription drugs, to 
provide mental healthcare, and protect millions of Americans with 
preexisting conditions, I urge consideration of the pressure points 
that rural communities face. That is how we deliver better healthcare 
access to all our constituents.

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