Smith to Continue Fight to Provide Health Care for Uninsured
Washington, DC - Today, Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) announced that he has been appointed to the Senate Republican Task Force on Health Care Costs and the Uninsured. The Task Force, created by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) and led by Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH), will develop principles and proposals to address the problem of Americans without health insurance. Gregg asked Smith to join Task Force based on his previous work to increase access to quality healthcare.
"The number of uninsured includes people from every walk of life," said Smith. "We need to be concerned about the uninsured because it is a moral outrage that so many Americans have no health coverage even though they live and work in the wealthiest nation on earth."
The principles and proposals developed by the Task Force are to be released during Cover the Uninsured Week, May 10 through 16, 2004, after which the Task Force will work to pass the proposals in Congress. Nearly 44 million Americans are currently living without healthcare coverage, including 8.5 million children.
"There has never been a better, or more important time to act with respect to the uninsured," said Smith. "We need to find a comprehensive approach to providing health care for the uninsured that will include not only health care credits but also deductions for small businesses and a sizable expansion of community health centers."
Smith has fought for years to provide healthcare coverage for the uninsured. He continues to use his influence on the Senate Finance Committee to benefit seniors and the uninsured. Smith has also been at the forefront of the prescription drug debate and in 2002 spearheaded a bipartisan plan with Senate leaders to introduce extensive new coverage to America's most vulnerable seniors.
