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

[Pages S2755-S2756]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                               Healthcare

  Madam President, there is no issue that matters more than healthcare. 
I have met with countless parents, grandparents, families, who rely on 
access to healthcare to keep themselves and their precious loved ones 
healthy.
  One of the reasons Nevada ranks near the bottom when it comes to 
access to care is that we continue to face a shortage of physicians, 
particularly in primary care. This is especially true for Nevadans 
living in rural and Tribal communities, with many of our State's 
residents having to drive hundreds of miles to seek medical care or 
they simply go without care.
  We know that many other States face similar problems. We need 
forward-thinking solutions to make sure that States like ours have 
enough doctors to serve our population. We need to help communities in 
rural and underserved areas gain access to telehealth programs so that 
we are able to provide better access to critical services, not just to 
Nevadans but to all Americans, no matter where they live.
  We need transparency when it comes to drug pricing because no person 
should be forced to decide between paying their bills and buying 
lifesaving medication. Let's not forget that we need equal access to 
healthcare for women, for LGBTQ, and for underrepresented communities.
  We must protect our healthcare system from sabotage by this 
administration. This month, the Trump administration made yet another 
move to take healthcare coverage and critical protections away from 
millions nationwide, instructing our own Justice Department to refuse 
to defend the Affordable Care Act. We are no longer just talking about 
stripping away protections for those with preexisting conditions, as if 
that weren't enough. We are in even more dangerous territory than 
before because if our healthcare law is completely wiped out, we will 
see an end--an end--to the tax credits that make coverage affordable 
for middle-income families; we will see an end to preventive care 
without copays, like health screenings and contraceptives; we will see 
an end to the ability of young adults under the age of 26 to stay on 
their parents' insurance; and we will see an end to Medicaid benefits, 
which have helped over 200,000 Nevadans get coverage.
  If this administration has its way with invalidating our healthcare 
law, it would spell disaster for primary care providers and the 
millions of Americans who rely on its protections for access to 
quality, affordable care.
  Healthcare is one of the top issues at every kitchen table in 
communities like Winnemucca and Henderson and across this country. I 
can't even begin to count the number of Nevadans who have shared with 
me how they would be affected by this disastrous decision and who tell 
me what it means in their personal lives not to have to live in fear of 
being denied coverage for a preexisting condition. Over 1.2 million 
Nevadans live with a preexisting condition. We all know what is at 
stake if

[[Page S2756]]

these individuals are denied access to care.
  There are plenty of ways we can work to improve the Affordable Care 
Act and lower healthcare costs, but destroying the law and leaving our 
loved ones at risk is simply unacceptable.
  As a member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions here in the Senate, I am working on solutions each day to 
bring resources, accountability, and relief to our healthcare system, 
including supporting legislation to bring down our skyrocketing drug 
costs and programs that bolster telemedicine in our rural and 
underserved communities because healthcare is a personal issue that 
affects each and every one of us, and we all know that just one 
diagnosis can change your life in an instant.
  The Senate today faces many challenges, none more so than the 
polarization and division that prevents us from coming together in 
pursuit of the public interest. In his farewell address, Nevada Senator 
Richard Bryan stated: ``If we can restore civility in our public 
discourse, as we debate the great issues and policy differences of our 
time, if we can apply the rules that govern the process by which we 
conduct the Senate's business fairly to all, and if we can work 
together for the common good, I am confident that the future of the 
Senate can be as bright as the past.''
  So this is my pledge to all of you: I will be an independent voice 
for all Nevadans by agreeing where I can and fighting where I must. 
There is nothing more important to me than taking care of my home, our 
home, your families, and all of our families because home means Nevada 
to me.
  During my first few weeks as a Senator, I joined Senator Manchin in 
helping lead the effort to defend the constitutionality of the 
Affordable Care Act. Our resolution will direct the Senate legal 
counsel to intervene in the Federal court case, where our healthcare 
system is under attack, to defend our current law, including 
protections for preexisting conditions.


                 Unanimous Consent Request--S. Res. 18

  Madam President, that is why, as my first action while holding the 
floor of the Senate, I would like to ask you this:
  As in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Rules 
Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 18 and 
the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration; that the resolution 
to be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no 
intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. THUNE. I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Ms. ROSEN. This is why Nevadans sent me here--to protect their 
healthcare. And that is what I am going to do; that is what I will 
continue to do.
  Thank you.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Scott of Florida). The Senator from South 
Dakota.