Walden: House OKs bill funding community health centers

The House passed a continuing resolution Tuesday to fund the federal government through March 23, by a vote of 245-182. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Bend, said he pushed to include two years of full funding for community health centers in the measure, and voted for its passage.

The CR, which now goes to the Senate, provides FY2018 and FY2019 funding for community health centers, as well as the National Health Service Corps, Teaching Health Centers, Special Diabetes Program for Type I diabetes, Special Diabetes Program for Indians, and Title V Sexual Risk Avoidance Education.

“The House once again acted in putting patients first, this time by advancing full funding for community health centers for two years, and extending funding for other critical public health programs in Oregon,” Walden said.

“Community health centers provide care for over 240,000 Oregonians across 63 delivery sites in our district, and it is long past time to give them the funding and certainty they need to continue serving patients. I urge the Senate to swiftly pass this funding measure, delivering necessary funding for our government operations and vital public health programs.”

Walden has led the effort to fund important public health programs like the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Community Health Centers. In November, the House passed Walden’s CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS Act, largely without Democrat support.

The CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS Act would have extended funding for CHIP, Community Health Centers, and the health programs extended in the funding measure passed in the House today. Walden’s legislation was fully offset through responsible reforms like reducing federal subsidies for seniors earning more than $500,000 each year (or $40,000 each month) by limiting government contributions for their Part B and D premiums, and disenrolling lottery jackpot winners from Medicaid to prioritize the most vulnerable.

Last month, the House and Senate passed a funding measure that included Walden’s provision to provide full funding of CHIP for six years. President Trump signed it into law on January 22. It is the longest and most generous extension in the program’s 20-year history.