Issue Position: Rural Issues

Issue Position

With all the chaos in Washington, it's easy for politicians to lose sight of the issues that plague rural communities. Doug is committed to making sure no Alabamians are left behind, no matter where they live. From protecting rural hospitals and addressing nursing shortages in rural areas to working to improve rural internet access to taking on the challenges facing our farmers, Doug has a proven record of addressing the needs of rural Alabamians.

Goals & Accomplishments

* Rural communities in Alabama need access to high quality, affordable health care, which is why Doug supports expanding Medicaid in Alabama, which would have a tremendous impact on Alabama's rural hospitals -- 88 percent of which are operating in the red and struggling to keep their doors open.
* Doug worked across the aisle to successfully make the case to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to change the unfair Medicare wage index which disproportionately hurts Alabama's financially strained hospitals.
* Doug introduced the SAME Act, which would ensure that holdout states receive the same levels of federal Medicaid funding as the states that have already expanded Medicaid after the passage of the ACA.
* In order to improve the coordination of federal resources for rural health care, Doug introduced the bipartisan Rural Health Liaison Act, which was signed into law as a part of the 2018 Farm Bill.
* In order to improve the coordination of federal resources for rural health care, Doug introduced the bipartisan Rural Health Liaison Act, which was signed into law as a part of the 2018 Farm Bill.
* Doug also introduced the Nursing Where It's Needed (WIN) Act to address nursing shortages in underserved areas. And in order to address high infant and maternal mortality rates, Doug introduced bipartisan legislation to reduce the number of maternal deaths and improve the quality of care for moms during pregnancy and after childbirth.
* Doug co-sponsored the bipartisan Broadband Connections For Rural Opportunities Program Act, designed to increase broadband access in rural communities, which increased the USDA rural broadband loan program from $25 million to $350 million annually.
* Doug also co-sponsored the Community Connect Grant Program Act, included in the 2018 Farm Bill, which allocated $50 million in broadband grant money for rural, underserved households and businesses.
* Doug was an original cosponsor of the Next Generation In Agriculture Act, which was included in the 2018 Farm Bill, and works with small and upcoming farms to ensure that future generations have the education and support they need to thrive.
* Doug was an original cosponsor of the Assist Socially Disadvantaged And Veteran Farmers And Ranchers Act, which helps to ensure equitable access to USDA programs for historically underserved farming communities. This became law as part of the 2018 Farm Bill.
* Doug is working to improve the sanitation crisis in the Black Belt expanding funding for wastewater grant programs, including up to $15,000 for households in rural areas to install and maintain wastewater systems.

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