Washington
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307 Dirksen Senate
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Phone: 202-224-6441
Fax: 202-224-1724
Wyoming Office
P.O. Box 22201
Casper, WY 82602
307-261-6413
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Contact: Cameron Hardy
202-224-6441 |
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Thomas Seeks To Restore Rural Health Funding
Rural Health Caucus Chairman Pushes For $100 million for Health Care Network |
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December 12th, 2005 - WASHINGTON – In his role as Chairman of the Senate Rural Health Caucus, U.S. Senator Craig Thomas (R-Wyo.) has recently led the fight to restore $100 million in rural health care funding removed from the 2006 Labor, Health and Human Services (L-HHS) appropriations bill.
“This is a matter of fairness. It’s about the equity of care between urban and rural settings. Folks in rural states have been getting lassoed by our growing health care costs. I’m hopeful that my colleagues, many of whom represent rural areas, will loosen the knot and allow this funding to flow into our rural health care networks,” Thomas said.
Thomas offered the amendment along with Sen. Kent Conrad (D.-N.D.). The fiscal year 2006 budget blueprint included Thomas’ $100 million rural health amendment. The amendment was approved by the Senate by unanimous consent as part of the 2006 L-HHS Appropriations Bill. However, the House of Representatives stripped much of the funding in its version of the legislation.
Thomas, along with 40 members of the Senate Rural Health Caucus, including Senator Enzi (R-Wyo.), sent a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate L-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee requesting the funding be restored. The Chairman and Ranking Member sit on the conference committee that will decide the fate of the Thomas amendment.
“Improving our access to health care will have a profound impact on our quality of life. Every state has its share of rural areas, and some, like Wyoming, depend on this funding to give our population equal footing with our urban counterparts.”
The Labor HHS Appropriations Bill is expected to be debated in the Senate this week.
Click here to view a copy of the letter.
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