[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 80 (Wednesday, May 8, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H2948]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    CELEBRATING NATIONAL NURSES WEEK

  (Mr. KENNEDY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of National Nurses 
Week and to celebrate the incredible contributions and sacrifices that 
nurses make each and every day.
  As an occupational therapist myself, I have seen firsthand how 
important nurses are, not only in the delivery of healthcare but in 
their daily interactions with patients. They build connections and tend 
to a patient's needs, serving as the main conduit to a patient's 
medical care.
  My grandmother, Dechantal O'Brien Kennedy, was a nurse. My mother, 
Mary Wilson Kennedy, was a nurse for more than 54 years and went on to 
teach nursing at D'Youville University in retirement.
  We should be grateful to our nurses, but we need to do more to 
support them. This Congress should prioritize the passage of H.R. 2530. 
This legislation will mandate specified minimum nurse-to-patient ratios 
in hospitals, ensure Medicare payments reflect those ratios, and 
empower nurses to speak up if those ratios are violated.
  It is common sense that we protect patients and reduce burnout and 
fatigue among nurses. It will save lives. Let's get it done.

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