Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Healthcare

Marco Rubio, Dick Durbin Offer Bill to Expand Health Care Workers, Address Physician Shortage

This week, U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., teamed up on a bill to “increase funding for the National Health Service Corps to expand America’s supply of health care workers.”

Durbin brought back the “Restoring America’s Health Care Workforce and Readiness Act” with Rubio as a co-sponsor. The senators have worked on the bill since 2020.

“Physician shortages are making primary and specialty care less accessible to Americans, especially in more remote and impoverished areas of the nation. The shortfall is expected to worsen over the coming decade,” Rubio’s office noted. “The senators’ bill would reauthorize funding for the National Health Service Corps and extend it through Fiscal Year 2026.”

“If you’ve tried to go to the doctor lately, you’re well aware there is a nationwide shortage of physicians, nurses, and other health professionals. Increasing our investment in the National Health Service Corps will remedy that shortage by encouraging more people to pursue careers in the medical field and service in areas of need,” said Rubio.

“Our health care professionals put their all into caring for their patients, but the demands of the pandemic have exacerbated workforce shortages, especially in our underserved rural and urban communities. Through scholarship and loan repayment, the National Health Service Corps is the premier program to build the pipeline of doctors, nurses, dentists, and behavioral health providers across America. I’m thankful for Senator Rubio’s partnership in increasing investments to help recruit the next generation of health care providers,” said Durbin.

The bill was sent to the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. So far, there is no companion measure over in the U.S. House.

Author

  • Kevin Derby

    Originally from Jacksonville, Kevin Derby is a contributing writer for Florida Daily and covers politics across Florida.

    View all posts

Archives

Related Articles

Florida Government & Politics

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has appointed James Uthmeier, his former chief of staff, as the new attorney general. Uthmeier, 37, was sworn in during...

Political News

With bipartisan support, Florida Senator Rick Scott (R) co-introduced a bill with Sen. Maggie Hassan, (D – NH) to reduce America’s reliance on China...

Political News

UPDATE: Ashley Moody was officially sworn-in as a US Senator, joining fellow Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott. Earlier today, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced...

Political News

Marco Rubio is being interviewed today at a Senate Confirmation Hearing for his nomination as US Secretary of State. Rubio’s tenure in the Senate...

Advertisement
Florida Daily
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

HOW WE COLLECT E-MAIL INFORMATION:

If you sign up to subscribe to Florida Daily’s e-mail newsletter, you will provide us your e-mail address and name, voluntarily, and we will never obtain any of your contact information that you don’t voluntarily provide.

HOW WE USE AN E-MAIL ADDRESS IF YOU VOLUNTARILY PROVIDE IT TO US:

If you voluntarily provide us with your name and email address, we will use it to send you one email update per weekday. Your email address will not be given to any third parties.

YOUR CONTROLS:

You will have the option to unsubscribe to our E-mail update at anytime by clicking an unsubscribe link that will be provided in each E-Mail we send.