[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 41 (Thursday, March 7, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H1007]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              WELCOMING FAT JOE TO THE STATE OF THE UNION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Barragan) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. BARRAGAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my guest for the 
State of the Union. He is a leader in the fight to make healthcare more 
affordable and equitable.
  Fat Joe is a Grammy-nominated artist, entrepreneur, and 
philanthropist. He is also a partner with Power to the Patients, to 
advocate for healthcare price transparency.
  Confusing health information, language barriers, and lack of 
insurance are challenges that make our healthcare system difficult to 
navigate, especially for communities of color.
  Because of high out-of-pocket costs, insured patients can still face 
enormous medical bills, and uninsured patients are more likely to face 
unnecessary hospital fees.
  Healthcare is the only service where someone does not know the cost 
until after you purchase it, until after receiving the healthcare 
services. We must remove barriers that restrict families from getting 
care, including knowing your costs up front.
  This builds upon the work of President Biden and House Democrats to 
put people over politics, to lower the cost of healthcare coverage and 
lower drug prices.
  Fat Joe's work to highlight the need for price transparency is 
necessary to reduce healthcare costs for American families. I am proud 
to welcome him back to the Capitol as my guest.


                          Full Funding for WIC

  Ms. BARRAGAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to applaud and support the full 
funding of WIC in the fiscal year 2024 budget.
  For 50 years, WIC has delivered quality nutrition benefits and 
breastfeeding support for almost 10 million American families, 
including almost 1 million pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and 
children in California.
  As chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, I hear stories every 
day of how essential WIC is to Latino families in America, with more 
than 6 million Latino women and children enrolled.
  Last year, the Hispanic Caucus joined the Congressional Black Caucus 
and the Democratic Women's Caucus to send a letter to congressional 
leadership to urge them to fully fund WIC.
  For months, House Republicans insisted on harmful funding cuts, which 
put women and children's health at risk. House Democrats worked 
tirelessly for a $1 billion funding increase to meet the basic needs of 
the program.
  This week, House Democrats were successful in our efforts. Moms and 
their babies and pregnant women who rely on WIC can breathe a sigh of 
relief. Their access to their benefits will continue.
  House Democrats will continue to keep up the fight in Congress toward 
an America where no one goes hungry.

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