More Than 150 Lawmakers Ask Congress To Pull Community Health Centers Back From Funding Cliff
The federal money for the centers expired in September, and the letter from the bipartisan group of lawmakers says about 2,800 health center sites would close, “endangering the health care of about 9 million patients," if the funding isn't renewed.
The Hill:
Bipartisan Lawmakers Urge Health Center Funding Reauthorization
A bipartisan group of more than 150 lawmakers is calling for Congress to reauthorize critical funding for community health centers, which care for some of the nation’s most vulnerable patients. A noncontroversial part of ObamaCare was the creation of a special trust fund for community health centers, which serve more than 25 million people regardless of their ability to pay for their medical services. The money accounts for 70 percent of federal grant funding for community health centers, and the dollars — reauthorized in 2015 — expired at the end of September. (Roubein, 10/30)
In other news from Capitol Hill —
The Hill:
Hatch Doesn't Rule Out ObamaCare Mandate Repeal In Tax Reform
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) is not ruling out a push by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) to repeal ObamaCare's individual mandate in tax-reform legislation. Asked if he is open to repealing the mandate as part of a tax-reform bill, Hatch said Monday: "Sure, I didn't think it should be there to begin with.” (Sullivan, 10/30)
