FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 27, 2021
Washington, D.C. – In a new op-ed published today, Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán and Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County President Louise McCarthy highlight the importance of capital funding for community health centers in the Build Back Better Act.
“Congress has a unique opportunity to support recovery in some of the communities hardest hit by the pandemic. If we truly believe in improving our physical and economic health, we must invest in our community health centers,” Barragán and McCarthy wrote.
The Build Back Better Act would invest $10 billion in community health center capital funding.
“Health centers are a lifeline in our communities. They serve all people who walk through their doors, regardless of ability to pay, insurance or immigration status — and the patient population is growing. Over the next five years, the number of community clinic patients is projected to hit 40 million across the country.
“Community health center facilities, however, are aging and already stretched to their limits. Many community clinics currently operate at full capacity and have no more physical room to grow, offer additional programs and services, or house staff,” they wrote.
The full op-ed appears in Roll Call.
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Nanette Diaz Barragán is proud to represent California’s 44th Congressional District, which includes the communities of Carson, Compton, Florence-Firestone, Lynwood, North Long Beach, Rancho Dominguez, San Pedro, South Gate, Walnut Park, Watts, Willowbrook and Wilmington. She serves as chairwoman of the House Homeland Security Committee’s Subcommittee on Border Security.