Congresswoman Heather Wilson, First Congressional District of New Mexico
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| Wilson Added to Commerce Health Subcommittee |
January 31, 2001 |
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Expects to Strengthen Leadership Role
Washington, DC — Congresswoman Heather Wilson was added to the Health Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee today. With this addition to her responsibilities she expects to continue to spearhead efforts to improve health care for New Mexicans. Wilson, who last year helped lead the effort to save health care coverage for thousands of New Mexico seniors enrolled in Medicare Choce, will have an even bigger role in crafting health care policy with her seat on the new subcommittee.
“A top priority will be modernizing Medicare and adding a prescription drug benefit to it,” said Wilson. “We need to pay special attention to the problems of rural health care. I look forward to working on these issues for New Mexico.”
During the last Congress Wilson worked to extend and refine the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which helps states provide health insurance to low-income children. In the final budget agreement passed last year, Wilson helped extend the SCHIP program allowing New Mexico to keep the majority of the $58 million it stood to lose for providing health care coverage for uninsured children. She has also taken strong stands on mental health care for children, organ transplants and woman’s health care.
In the 107th Congress the Health Subcommittee’s jurisdiction will include:
* public health and quarantine;
* hospital construction;
* mental health and research;
* biomedical programs;
* health protection in general, including Medicaid and national health insurance;
* food and drugs;
* and, drug abuse.
Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Billy Tauzin (R-LA) talked to Wilson by phone last week and asked Wilson if she would be willing to serve on four subcommittees—Health, Telecommunications, Energy and Air Quality, and Environment and Hazardous Materials. It is unusual for a member to serve on four subcommittees of the powerful House Commerce Committee and reflects Wilson’s hard work in the 106th Congress on a broad range of commerce and health issues.
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