Thune: Republicans’ Rural Health Transformation Program Delivers Historic Investments in All 50 States

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor: Thune’s remarks below (as delivered): “Mr. President, we’re coming to the end of the first year of the Rural Health Transformation Program. “This multi-year initiative, created in Republicans’ Working Families Tax Cuts legislation, will invest $50 billion in all 50 states to put rural health care providers on a more sustainable footing for the future. “And beyond helping to ensure that Americans in rural areas can access health care, it will also ensure that providers are able to leverage technology and innovation to address the challenges unique to rural states. “Mr. President, one year in, this program is off to a promising start. “That’s certainly the case in my home state of South Dakota. “Just last week, CMS announced a $13 million investment in behavioral and mental health care in South Dakota. “This funding will help expand crisis services and build out our state’s workforce in behavioral health care. “And it comes after another announcement in August of funding to modernize technology and strengthen cybersecurity at rural health care providers in South Dakota – an initiative that will not only modernize care in my state but also support future innovation to address the unique needs of rural South Dakota. “Mr. President, when Republicans created the Rural Health Transformation Program last summer, we didn’t take a top-down, Washington-centered approach. “Instead, we designed it to give states the resources and freedom to find solutions to their particular challenges. “And I’m proud to see South Dakota taking the same approach when it comes to distributing the funding that it will receive. “In the words of South Dakota Secretary of Health Melissa Magstadt, and I quote, ‘The initiatives that we’ve developed came strictly from the assessments we had, the expert input we garnered, and what citizens themselves said they needed in the community.’ “Mr. President, that’s exactly how the Rural Health Transformation Program is supposed to work. “And it’s not just working in South Dakota. “As I mentioned, all 50 states are taking advantage of this transformative program. “Ohio is putting $3 million toward expanding offerings at pharmacies in rural communities. “A nearly $5 million award will help a hospital in central Maine upgrade its electronic medical record system to integrate it with the wider health system it’s part of. “Providers in Kansas will benefit from nearly $17 million this year to support new technologies and improve transportation options for specialty health care. “And Missouri will use $35 million to support 20 rural hospital projects, and another $4 million to train its rural EMS workforce. “A hospital in South Carolina will use funding to add an additional operating room and upgrade its technology. “And a nonprofit in Alaska received $16 million to improve primary care offerings and bring in more providers and staff. “And this is just some of the funding states are receiving for the first year of this program. “Mr. President, as this list suggests, the Rural Health Transformation Program will make an impact in every corner of this country. “All 50 states are receiving funding from this program – red states and blue states alike. “Which makes Senate Democrats’ opposition to this program particularly baffling. “Our Democrat colleagues … have made their opposition to the Rural Health Transformation Program very clear – with the Democrat leader going so far as to say this last year, and I quote: ‘This little fund to help reimburse rural hospitals is just a fraud.’ “Let me repeat that, Mr. President. “‘This little fund to help reimburse rural hospitals is just a fraud.’ “That, from the Democrat leader. “Perhaps the Democrat leader should check-in with his state’s governor, who said of a recent $76 million investment from this program, and I quote, ‘These investments will bring rural hospitals, health centers and community providers together to strengthen regional health care networks and make it easier for New Yorkers to get the care they need closer to home.’ “That, from New York’s governor. “Let me repeat that, Mr. President. “‘ … and make it easier for New Yorkers to get the care they need closer to home.’ “Well, that doesn’t sound like a fraud to me. “But Mr. President, whether this would help the people in rural parts of their states didn’t seem to matter to Washington Democrats. “In fact, Senate Democrats voted more than half a dozen times last year to repeal – repeal – the Rural Health Transformation Program. “That’s right. “Around this time last year – during Democrats’ record-long government shutdown – Senate Democrats were working to end this program. “I’m curious if the Democrat leader would like to claw back … the $212 million that rural health care providers in New York will receive from the program this year? “Should already-strapped rural hospitals not spend this money because Democrats are going to take it back next time they have the power to do so? “Mr. President, let’s hope it never comes to that. “The Rural Health Transformation Program is helping Americans in rural areas across this country. “It’s helping South Dakota. “Ohio. “Idaho. “Kansas. “Rhode Island. “Alaska. “And everywhere in between. “And I’m proud that Republicans are delivering for rural Americans.”