Carper Joins Blunt, Stabenow to Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Extend Community Health Center Funding

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) joined Senators Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) to introduce the Community Health Investment, Modernization, and Excellence (CHIME) Act, which would reauthorize the Community Health Center Fund (CHCF) and the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) for five years. In addition, the bipartisan bill provides annual increases for the CHCF and NHSC beginning in FY 2020.

“This legislation helps secure much needed long-term funding for Community Health Centers at a time when the demand for preventive care in communities across the country continues to grow,” said Tom Van Coverden, Chief Executive Officer for the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). “Health centers now serve 28 million people nationwide, including more than 355,000 veterans. Their mission to reduce chronic disease in communities, curb health care costs and deliver savings to the American taxpayer is working and must be allowed to continue. We are also up to the challenge of addressing the nation’s opioid epidemic and other crises in collaboration with Congressional leaders. We are grateful for Senators Blunt and Stabenow and for their leadership in advancing a bipartisan solution that will make a difference in the lives of millions of Americans.”

Community health centers provide quality medical, dental, vision and behavioral health care to 28 million patients, including more than 355,000 of our nation’s veterans and 8 million children, at over 11,000 sites nationwide.

Joining Senator Carper in cosponsoring the CHIME Act are U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.), Ben Cardin (Md.), Susan Collins (Maine), John Cornyn (Texas), Cory Gardner (Colo.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (Miss.), Doug Jones (Ala.), Angus King (Maine), Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Bob Menendez (N.J.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Gary Peters (Mich.), Dan Sullivan (Alaska), Jon Tester (Mont.), and Roger Wicker (Miss.).