Walden bill to fund health programs clears House

Rep. Greg Walden’s (R-Ore.) plan to extend vital funding for important public health priorities passed the House on a bipartisan vote Friday, his office said in a news release.

Walden’s legislation — the CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS Act — provides funding extensions of public health programs such as:

A five-year extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) A two-year extension of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) or Community Health Centers A two-year extension for additional public health programs, including: The National Health Service Corps, Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education, Family-to-Family Health Information Centers, the Youth Empowerment Program, and the Personal Responsibility Education Program.

During a speech on the House floor, Walden highlighted how the CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS Act will be especially important for Oregonians. Community health centers offer health care options in rural and underserved areas in Oregon, and Walden’s legislation ensures they have the funding to continue providing services to Oregonians.

“While states still have rollover CHIP funds available and the next wave of community health center funds won’t go out until next year, we cannot wait any longer,” Walden said.

“Patients cannot wait any longer. Patients need care, and these critical programs need funding. In my district alone, there are 12 federally qualified health center organizations, with 63 delivery sites leveraging over $41 million in federal dollars in order to serve over 240,000 patients. These health centers are prevention and public health in action, often serving as the main provider of care for miles.”

To read a fact sheet on the CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS Act, please click here.