[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 12, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H1104-H1105]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 COMMUNITY CENTER PROGRAM DEVELOPMENTS

  (Mrs. RAMIREZ asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)

[[Page H1105]]

  

  Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in representation of 12 critical 
community health centers in Illinois-03.
  Community centers provide essential preventative care to nearly 
700,000 members of my district, where 50 percent of income is below the 
poverty line. They support 1,500 jobs and $250 million in economic 
output in the region.
  The clinics provide training for future healthcare providers, shaping 
mission-driven physicians, nurses, dentists, and behavioral health 
providers who often remain after graduating to continue to serve the 
community. Nonetheless, congressional appropriation delays in funding 
challenge these critical health services.
  As we continue the appropriations process, we must prioritize the 
well-being of the families we represent. I call on my colleagues to 
recommit to passing the Labor-HHS budget and to fully funding community 
health centers and their education programs.

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