[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 85 (Thursday, May 16, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S3751]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                        TRIBUTE TO TESS KUENNING

 Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I rise today to thank Tess 
Kuenning, president and chief executive officer of the Bi-State Primary 
Care Association for her contributions to the work of the Senate 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee to expand access to 
primary care for all Americans.
  Tess Kuenning, clinically trained as an advanced practice nurse, has 
led Bi-State Primary Care Association for nearly 30 years. During this 
time, she has worked tirelessly to support community health centers in 
Vermont, New Hampshire, and around the country as a member of various 
boards, committees, and panels focused on expanding access to primary 
care.
  Primary care is the backbone of our healthcare system. Community 
health centers make up a major portion of that backbone, especially for 
low- and moderate-income Americans. Yet Congress continues to severely 
underfund this critical work.
  Community health centers provide affordable, quality primary medical, 
dental, and mental health care, as well as access to low-cost 
prescription drugs to over 30 million people in the United States. In 
Vermont, nearly one out of every three people receives their primary 
healthcare through a community health center across 73 sites, something 
that I and my fellow Vermonters are very proud of and has happened in 
no small part due to Tess's efforts.
  Over the past year, I worked very hard as chair of the Health, 
Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to increase funding for 
community health centers. Working day and night alongside me was Tess 
Kuenning. Simply put, she has done more for health centers this past 
year than just about anyone else in the Nation. Tess uses creativity, 
innovation, perseverance, and her vast network of health center 
contacts across the country to lift up and garner support for the 
community health center program. She is steadfast in her efforts to 
build connections and demonstrate the vast needs and even greater 
potential of our health centers.
  To my mind, Tess Kuenning's work represents the kind of effective 
engagement all Americans should have with their Members of Congress. 
Each of us should be lucky enough to have people in our home State who 
understand the needs of everyday people and are willing to tell us what 
we need to know to provide our constituents with the help they need. I 
am very grateful for Tess's dedication to improving our healthcare 
system and the health of millions and all those who believe that 
healthcare is a right--not a privilege--owe her our thanks and 
respect.

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