Vice Chair Harshbarger Delivers Floor Remarks on Legislation to Expand Access to Care and Promote Patient Health Outcomes

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (TN-01), Vice Chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, delivered remarks on the House floor regarding H.R. 3419, To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the telehealth network and telehealth resource centers grant programs; H.R. 2319, the Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2025; and H.R. 2493, the Improving Care in Rural America Reauthorization Act of 2025. These pieces of legislation reauthorize key grant programs to both strengthen telehealth infrastructure and utilize integrated health care networks to help connect patients to high quality care, as well as advance ongoing and emerging research opportunities to reduce the burden of lung cancer mortality.

Vice Chair Harshbarger’s remarks on H.R. 3419, To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the telehealth network and telehealth resource centers grant programs, as prepared for delivery:

“I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3419, which would reauthorize the telehealth network and telehealth resource centers grant programs, led by my colleague Congressman Valadao.

“Telehealth has been an extremely useful tool that helps patients overcome various physical barriers to care and expands access to a wide array of services provided by high-quality health care professionals.

“It is both an effective and efficient way to deliver health care services to patients living in rural and medically underserved areas across the United States. As we continue working to build a healthier America, telehealth is an incredible tool to help break down barriers and promote patient access.

“H.R. 3419 reauthorizes key grant programs—namely, the Telehealth Network Grant Program and the Telehealth Resource Centers.

“Under the Telehealth Network Grant Program, awardees can receive funding to provide services through a telehealth network for patients in rural and medically underserved areas.

“Additionally, the Telehealth Resource Center provides telehealth technical assistance for regional and national entities that support providers to best utilize this technology to care for their patients.

“Ultimately, this bill continues critical support and strengthens the telehealth infrastructure that Americans rely on.”

Vice Chair Harshbarger’s remarks on H.R. 2493, the Improving Care in Rural America Reauthorization Act of 2025, as prepared for delivery:

“I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2493, the Improving Care in Rural America Reauthorization Act of 2025, led by my friend from Georgia, Congressman Carter.

“Too often, where a patient lives determines whether they are able to access adequate health care services. Patients living in rural areas, in particular, often face barriers like a shortage of local providers and the transportation challenges of traveling longer distances to reach points of care.

“To overcome these challenges and build towards a healthier future, we must continue leveraging tools like telehealth to ensure that rural and underserved communities have access to quality health care.

“H.R. 2493 reauthorizes grant programs that utilize integrated health care networks to help connect patients to high quality care.

“More specifically, the programs we are reauthorizing will help address critical health care gaps in rural communities such as access to preventive screenings and chronic disease management, while improving services in primary care settings.

“We must continue to invest in these community-driven policies to promote better health outcomes for rural and underserved populations.”

Vice Chair Harshbarger’s remarks on H.R. 2319, the Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2025, as prepared for delivery:

“I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2319, the Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2025, led by my colleague Representative Boyle.

“Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States, and it claims the lives of more Americans than any other type of cancer.

“Globally, over 600,000 women die every year from lung cancer, and we know that nearly 20 percent of lung cancer cases occur in individuals who have either never smoked or have smoked less than 100 cigarettes over their lifetime.

“These findings demonstrate that we need to be doing more to understand the risk factors beyond just smoking cigarettes, and improve both our strategies and tools for screening, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention—especially among women, who face unique risk factors.

“H.R. 2319 would allow us to strengthen and advance emerging research opportunities that we rely on to reduce the burden of lung cancer mortality.

“Further, this bipartisan bill requires an interagency review between the Department of Health and Human Services and the Departments of War and Veterans Affairs to determine the current research landscape and identify new areas of research to explore.

“H.R. 2319 is an opportunity to take another critical step forward in our fight against cancer in the U.S.”