[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 117 (Friday, July 12, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H5731]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 PROVIDING HEALTHCARE IN INSULAR AREAS

  (Mr. SABLAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, good news for the Northern Mariana Islands 
and all the insular areas: The Territories Health Care Improvement Act 
was introduced on Tuesday, addressing the Medicaid cliff our areas face 
when special ObamaCare funding ends this year.
  Thursday, the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee reported the 
bill without dissent. ``Let's keep it moving,'' Chair Eshoo said. I 
believe full committee Chairman Pallone intends to do so as well.
  I thank them both and Ranking Members Burgess and Walden for 
understanding the urgency of the Medicaid crisis in the insular areas. 
I also thank Mr. Soto and Mr. Bilirakis, who led the bill along with 
myself and seven bipartisan cosponsors.
  It provides exactly what the Northern Mariana Islands Medicaid 
director testified she needed: $60 million per year. No local match is 
required as we recover from last year's typhoons. After 6 years, we 
will get the FMAP any State is offered.
  There are new program integrity requirements that I support because 
every Federal dollar should go to those intended, without fraud or 
waste.
  So, healthcare in the insular areas can be as good as healthcare 
anywhere in America. That is good news.

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