On Monday, May 15, Advocates for Community Health delivered a letter signed by more than 140 organizations–including national organizations, 15 Primary Care Associations, and health centers from 27 states and the District of Columbia–to Senate HELP Chair Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Senate HELP Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA), House Energy & Commerce (E&C) Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), and E&C Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ). Health center and patient access advocates nationwide were encouraged on Tuesday, May 16, when members of the House Energy & Commerce Committee confirmed they had come to a bipartisan agreement to increase health center funding by 5% for the next two years. This comes at a critical time as the Committee prepares to mark up legislation to reauthorize the Health Center Trust Fund and other key programs impacting funding for community health centers. 

This effort is part of a long-term strategy ACH launched in 2022 with its CHC Invest campaign to ensure that Congress understands what is at stake for health centers and the patients they serve. The progress we are seeing is energizing and affirming, however there is much more work to be done. We are grateful to our champions on both sides of the aisle for their commitment to helping health centers fulfill their mission and provide comprehensive care to 30 million patients each year. ACH will continue to advocate in Washington for historic investments in the Health Center program.