It has been one of my main priorities throughout my service in Congress to find a way to extend health insurance coverage to every uninsured or underinsured American. I believe in making public health insurance programs stronger and extending them to cover more individuals. I am working hard to address the problem of the uninsured – and the underinsured -- and remove barriers to health coverage for all Americans.

• REDUCING DRUG COSTS: I introduced the MEDS Act, legislation that would allow the government to negotiate lower prescription drug prices on behalf of seniors, just as the Veterans Administration does for veterans.
• NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH FUNDING: As a member of the Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus, I believe that a sustained federal commitment to health research is critical to the future of medical care in America. I have long been a supporter of a five-year effort to double the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget. I will continue to support the vital work done at NIH headquarters and in more than 2,000 university, hospital and other research facilities across the country.
• THE NURSING REINVESTMENT ACT: To help stop the nursing recruitment and retention problem, during the 107th Congress I signed on as a cosponsor of the Nurse Reinvestment Act. This bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and issue public service announcements that advertise and promote the nursing profession, highlight the advantages and rewards of nursing, and encourage individuals from diverse communities and backgrounds to enter the nursing profession. The bill also awards grants to establish health career academies and improve nursing facility development in order to increase the number of nurses. Furthermore, this legislation establishes a National Nurse Service Corps Scholarship program to provide scholarships to individuals seeking nursing education in exchange for service by such individuals in areas suffering from nursing shortages.
• SMALL BUSINESS HEALTH INSURANCE AFFORDABILITY: I support efforts to improve individuals’ and small businesses’ ability to obtain quality health insurance. I introduced H.R. 2002, the Small Business Health Insurance Affordability Act. This bill would do several things to help uninsured Americans who work for small businesses get adequate health care. My legislation would establish a tax credit toward the purchase of health insurance for all small employers who choose to offer it. The credit will reimburse 30% of health insurance costs, up to $600 per year for individuals and $1500 for family coverage. Businesses can get an additional 10% tax credit (up to 40% total) if they join a Health Benefit Purchasing Coalition, which provides small employers a way to pool resources, negotiate collectively with insurers, and administer health plans for small employer groups. In order to foster innovation on the state level, the bill would create state grant programs for initiatives that expand health insurance to the uninsured through market innovations.