[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 73 (Wednesday, May 25, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E947]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       REPEALING MANDATORY FUNDING FOR GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION

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                               speech of

                          HON. SANDER M. LEVIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 24, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1216) to 
     amend the Public Health Service Act to convert funding for 
     graduate medical education in qualified teaching health 
     centers from direct appropriations to an authorization of 
     appropriations:

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this short-sighted and 
harmful legislation, H.R. 1216.
  Everybody recognizes that we don't have enough primary care 
physicians and by 2020 most experts believe that we will face a 
shortage of over 40,000 primary care doctors. This legislation ignores 
reality and would jeopardize funding for a program whose purpose is to 
increase the number of primary care doctors and bring down the cost of 
health care.
  As a result, it would be more difficult to find a doctor and people 
would be forced to turn to more expensive and less effective emergency 
room care.
  This bill is a step backwards. Rather than supporting a meaningful 
effort that will reduce this shortage of primary care physicians, 
Republicans have brought a bill to the Floor that undermines health 
care. It is one of the many mindless attempts to repeal health care 
reform that just make needed change harder to achieve. We need to 
strengthen our health care system by implementing health care reform.
  To move forward we need to reject Republican efforts, vote down this 
bill and reject the dangerous health care policies in the Republican 
budget that will end Medicare and cut Medicaid.
  I urge Members of Congress to reject this bill.

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