Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-Westlake Village) issued the following statement on the passage of the Medicare Access and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization Act (H.R. 2):
“The House-passed permanent ‘Doc Fix’ will ensure that millions of children and tens of thousands of low-income families have access to healthcare, and that seniors who rely on Medicare have access to their doctors. While Republican attempts to further erode a woman’s right to choose had no place in this legislation, I do believe the spirit of bipartisanship that allowed this bill to pass the House shows a way forward toward addressing our nation’s many challenges,” said Brownley.
In addition to providing a permanent “Doc Fix” to the SGR, H.R. 2 includes many provisions to improve health care programs vital for seniors, children, and low-income families, including:
- A 2-year extension of CHIP, which serves more than 36,000 low-income children in California,
- $7 billion in critical funding for community health centers which serve underserved communities,
- A 2-year extension of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, and
- Almost $750 million for training more urgently-needed nurses and physicians through Teaching Health Centers, Community Health Centers, and the National Public Health Service Corps.
Issues: 114th Congress, Healthcare, Seniors' Issues