WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 9, 2018) – As she continues to get results for the people of Eastern Washington, this week Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) led the way in getting three pieces of her legislation passed in the U.S. House of Representatives and two of them signed into law. This marks six bills passed in the House this year for the Congresswoman and four signed into law.

SIGNED INTO LAW: The Steve Gleason Enduring Voices Act

This week, the Congresswoman’s Steve Gleason Enduring Voices Act passed the House to permanently fix a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) policy that limited access to speech-generating devices for people with degenerative diseases, and today, this bill was signed into law by President Trump as part of the Bipartisan Budget Act. A Spokane native, Steve is an inspiration to all, especially to the thousands of Americans living with ALS and other diseases who, like him, rely on speech-generating devices to communicate with their family, friends, and doctors. This bill will quite literally give a voice to the voiceless.

 

SIGNED INTO LAW: Legislation to Extend the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Program

As the Congresswoman has said, “Bringing more physicians to Eastern Washington is one of my top priorities. Our rural and urban underserved communities struggle to access the medical professionals they need and Teaching Health Center programs like the Spokane Teaching Health Clinic will help create a new generation of rural doctors—trained right here in our community.”

Her bill, introduced last July, extends this program and doubles the funding, allowing medical students to stay in Eastern Washington for their residencies. Compared to traditional residency programs, those who train at Teaching Health Centers are 60% more likely to practice primary care, 30% more likely to work in rural or underserved communities. With the doctor shortage that rural America faces, this program is more important than ever, which is why the Congresswoman is making sure it has the resources it needs to succeed. This bill was signed into law on Friday, also included in the Bipartisan Budget Act.

The Congresswoman hosted a Facebook live this week to talk about these bills and why they matter to Eastern Washington. Check it out here:

PASSED THE HOUSE: Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act

On Tuesday, the House passed the Congresswoman’s Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act to address one of the most burdensome rules of the Obama administration and help consumers more easily access calorie count information while providing businesses with increased flexibility.

As Rep. McMorris Rodgers said this week, “This bill, at its very core, is about flexibility. Flexibility for businesses to meet the requirements of the rule and present this calorie information in a way that makes sense for them and their customers… By bringing this rule into the 21st Century, customers can trust they are getting the reliable information they need in an easy to access, consumer-friendly way.”

With the bipartisan leadership of Senators Roy Blunt (R-MI) and Angus King (I-ME) in the Senate, the Congresswoman remains optimistic that this bill will move forward to provide relief to small businesses. Learn more about this legislation here.

These three important bills continue to build on the results-driven leadership of Rep. McMorris Rodgers on behalf of the people of Eastern Washington. Last December, the Congresswoman saw two more of her bills, the ABLE to Work Act and the ABLE Financial Planning Act, signed into law to allow those with disabilities to live full and independent lives. Learn more about these bills here. The Congresswoman also saw her Hydropower Policy Modernization Act passed in the House last year and will continue working with her colleagues in the Senate to move this legislation forward to support the clean, renewable, and affordable energy that hydropower provides.

The Congresswoman’s mission is to restore trust and confidence in representative government, and that starts with getting results that matter to people in Eastern Washington.

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