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00:00:19>> IOWA SENATE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE JOSH TUREK SPOKE ABOUT RISING CANCER RATES IN HIS STATE
00:00:23DURING A ROUNDTABLE IN CEDAR RAPIDS. HE ALSO ADDRESSED THE
00:00:26ISSUES OF HEALTH CARE AND WATER
00:00:30QUALITY FOR JUST UNDER AN HOUR
00:00:34>> I THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. MY NAME IS LAURA RYAN. I HAVE
00:00:38BEEN INVOLVED WITH A ICE'S CAMP FOR JUST PROBABLY EIGHT MONTHS,
00:00:42NINE MONTHS MAYBE. I WAS AN ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL PRIOR. I
00:00:45JUST RETIRED A YEAR AGO, IN
00:00:48JULY. I LOST MY HUSBAND TO
00:00:51COLORECTAL CANCER, AND HE WAS 23 YEARS OLD, WHICH I THINK IS JUST
00:00:55TOO YOUNG. AND I HAD PREVIOUSLY LOST MY MOM TO SKIN CANCER, AND
00:00:58SHE WAS 53 YEARS OLD. SO 53 FOR
00:01:02MY MOM. AND MY HUSBAND WAS JUST TOO YOUNG. AND SO WHEN I
00:01:06RETIRED, UM, NOW I'M JUST VERY INVOLVED IN THIS WORLD. I WANT
00:01:09TO SPEND THE REST OF MY TIME
00:01:12DOING SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE AND ICE'S CAN FEELS LIKE THE PERFECT PLACE TO DO THAT. YEAH.
00:01:16>> HI, JOSH, I'M LAURIE JOHNSON.
00:01:18UH, FELLOW COUNCIL BLUFFS, UH, PERSON. I LIVED THERE A LONG
00:01:22TIME AGO. GRADUATED FROM ABRAHAM LINCOLN AS WELL. YEAH, RIGHT.
00:01:26>> WE'RE A SMALL WORLD. >> YEAH. SMALL WORLD. UM, I'M ACTUALLY FROM WATERLOO, WHERE
00:01:29I'VE LIVED PROBABLY THE LONGEST
00:01:31OF MY LIFE. UM, I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER IN DECEMBER,
00:01:35AND I HAD JUST RETIRED FROM
00:01:37WORKING AND TEACHING AT UNI LAST JULY, WAS PLANNING MY
00:01:41RETIREMENT, AND THEN I GOT BREAST CANCER. SO THAT KIND OF
00:01:44WAS NOT A PART OF MY PLAN. BUT,
00:01:46UM, IT'S LED ME HERE. UM, I HAD
00:01:49SURGERY IN JANUARY, RADIATION TREATMENTS, FEBRUARY, MARCH, AND
00:01:52NOT TO GO TOO LONG, BUT MY MOM
00:01:54WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THE EXACT SAME TYPE OF BREAST CANCER AS I
00:01:58WAS 22 YEARS AGO. UM, I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THROUGH MY
00:02:01MIX OF EMOTIONS, WHAT I WAS
00:02:04GOING TO DO ABOUT THIS AFTER TREATMENTS. AND I DECIDED, JUST
00:02:07WITH MY COMMUNICATION BACKGROUND, THAT I NEEDED TO BE
00:02:10AN ADVOCATE, NOT JUST FOR MYSELF, BUT FOR OTHER PEOPLE.
00:02:13UM, REALLY, BECAUSE OF CONTINUED
00:02:16RESEARCH, FUNDING, MY SURGERY,
00:02:18WHICH WAS THE EXACT SAME TYPE OF
00:02:21SURGERY AS MY MOM WAS, UH, LESS
00:02:23INVASIVE BECAUSE OF IMPROVED
00:02:26SURGICAL TECHNIQUES. I DID 15
00:02:27RADIATION TREATMENTS. SHE DID 32. WOW. SO IN 22 YEARS AGO, YOU
00:02:31CAN SEE THAT THERE'S BEEN SOME
00:02:34IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SAME TYPE OF BREAST CANCER. WE HAVE THE SAME
00:02:37MAKEUP, TUMOR MAKEUP. UM, HERS WAS JUST IN ONE SIDE, MINE WAS
00:02:40IN THE OTHER. AND THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY DIFFERENCE. AND, UH,
00:02:43SHE'S 81 YEARS OLD AND DOING WELL, SO I'M HAPPY.
00:02:47>> TO HEAR THAT. >> YEAH. SO ANYWAY, SO HERE I AM. I ALSO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT
00:02:51OUT TO MY VERY CLOSE FRIEND AND
00:02:53GOLFING BUDDY, TRACY MCCORMICK,
00:02:55ALSO A FELLOW BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR WHO REALLY, UM, SHE
00:02:59DIDN'T PULL MY LEG TO DO THIS. I JUST SAID, HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED? AND SHE'S BEEN A
00:03:03GREAT MENTOR TO ME. SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TODAY. THANKS
00:03:06>> HI, I'M HALEY HUDSON. I LIVE HERE IN CEDAR RAPIDS. UM, I'VE
00:03:09ALWAYS BEEN A CEDAR RAPIDS AND
00:03:11LIVED IN MARION FOR A WHILE. UM, BUT WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I WAS
00:03:15EIGHT YEARS OLD, AND MY MOM WAS
00:03:18DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER. UM, AND SHE DID REALLY WELL HERE
00:03:21AT MERCY HOSPITAL IN CEDAR RAPIDS AND WAS IN REMISSION. AND
00:03:25I CAME BACK MORE AGGRESSIVE. SHE
00:03:27HAD TO TRAVEL DOWN TO HOUSTON AT MD ANDERSON FOR A WHOLE SUMMER.
00:03:31WHEN I WAS IN FOURTH GRADE, AND GET SOME ADVANCED TREATMENT. SO
00:03:35MY BROTHER AND I SPENT A WHOLE SUMMER, UNFORTUNATELY, WITHOUT
00:03:37HER. AND MY DAD TRAVELED WITH
00:03:40HER. SO, UM, UNFORTUNATELY, IT CAME BACK IN A HARDER WAY, AND
00:03:43THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO KIND OF STOP IT. SO IN 2010, SHE PASSED
00:03:46AWAY. BUT, UM, SINCE THEN, MY
00:03:49GRANDMA, UM, HER MOM HAS SURVIVED CANCER, BREAST CANCER,
00:03:52AND CERVICAL CANCER. BUT THE WHOLE FAMILY REALLY, UM, HAS A
00:03:56LONG HISTORY WITH CANCER. SO I STARTED VOLUNTEERING FOR A SCAN
00:03:59BACK IN 2020. AND, UM, WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, IT'S BEEN A
00:04:03GREAT PLACE TO BE. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU.
00:04:07>> THANK YOU >> JACKIE KALE, I AM, I ACTUALLY
00:04:11WORK FOR THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, CANCER ACTION NETWORK. I'VE BEEN WITH THE GOVERNMENT
00:04:14RELATIONS TEAM. UM, AND I'VE BEEN WITH THEM FOR ABOUT SEVEN
00:04:17YEARS. AND I LIVE IN DES MOINES AREA, BUT, UM, YEAH, I'LL LEAVE IT TO THEM TO CONTINUE TO SHARE
00:04:22THEIR STORIES, BUT I'LL HAND IT
00:04:24OFF TO MORGAN, WHO'S MY PARTNER
00:04:30IN CRIME. YEAH, I'M MORGAN.
00:04:38BE INVOLVED IN THIS DISCUSSION
00:04:42AND I'M HAPPY TO HAVE ALL THESE FOLKS AROUND THE TABLE WITH US.
00:04:45>> ON A PEDIATRIC CANCER
00:04:51RESEARCHER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA.
00:04:52WE STUDY A VERY RARE PEDIATRIC
00:04:57BREAST CANCER. -- BRAIN CANCER.
00:05:03I GOT INVOLVED WITH THE AMERICAN
00:05:06CANCER SOCIETY CANCER ACTION NETWORK BECAUSE RESEARCH IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
00:05:13IT'S IMPORTANT TO SUPPORT POLICY
00:05:17THAT SUPPORTS RESEARCH AND PREVENTION EFFORTS.
00:05:20THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
00:05:22>> I'M A CANCER SURVIVOR AND A
00:05:29STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA. I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PEOPLE
00:05:33STUDYING HEALTH POLICY TO ASK
00:05:37QUESTIONS OF THE PEOPLE THAT MIGHT REPRESENT AND TEACH
00:05:41POLICY.
00:05:44>> I LIVE IN WATERLOO AND I WAS
00:05:49DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST ABOUT NINE YEARS AGO.
00:05:52I WAS 39 AT THE TIME.
00:06:05UNFORTUNATE TO GO TO -- I WAS
00:06:08FORTUNATE TO GO TO IOWA CITY.
00:06:15I WENT THROUGH 16 ROUNDS OF CHEMO FOLLOWED BY A DOUBLE MASTECTOMY.
00:06:22MY HUSBAND, MY PARENTS, MY SISTER, MY FRIENDS, GREAT
00:06:25SUPPORT FROM PEOPLE WHO KNOW AND LOVE OUR FAMILY.
00:06:31OUR BOYS WERE NINE AND FOUR AT THE TIME.
00:06:36NOW A 17 EURO SENIOR AND A 13-YEAR-OLD.
00:06:41MY GOAL WHEN I WAS DIAGNOSED WAS TO SEE THEM GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL
00:06:45AND I THINK I WILL MAKE IT. [LAUGHTER]
00:06:49I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH ACS FOR
00:06:58TWO TO THREE YEARS.
00:07:01PART OF MY EXPERIENCE SHOWED ME CANCER IS HARD.
00:07:06I HAD THE BEST POSSIBLE OUTCOMES
00:07:08I COULD HAVE WITH MY TYPE, WHICH
00:07:11IS THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF
00:07:12BREAST CANCER, BUT I ALSO HAVE A
00:07:15WORKING HUSBAND AND HEALTH INSURANCE AND GREAT SUPPORT.
00:07:20THROUGH OBSERVING PEOPLE IN
00:07:23WAITING ROOMS OR LEARNING MORE
00:07:26ABOUT CANCER, YOU REALIZE NOT EVERYBODY HAS THAT.
00:07:38IOWA ONES SHOW UP FOR EACH OTHER
00:07:39AND DO FUNDRAISERS AND MAKE FOOD
00:07:42AND GIVE GIFT CARDS, BUT WE
00:07:45CAN'T TOUCH WHAT OUR STATE AND
00:07:50FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAN DO TO ADVANCE HEALTH CARE AND CANCER PRIORITIES.
00:07:55THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
00:07:58>> I THINK EACH OF US HAS A
00:08:02TOPIC AREA TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS
00:08:06ON. TOBACCO ISSUES ARE PRIMARILY
00:08:10STATE ORIENTED.
00:08:17THE LAST MEANINGFUL TOBACCO TAX
00:08:20INCREASE -- THERE ARE AREAS THAT
00:08:24THE CDC IN AREAS THAT REGULATE TOBACCO USAGE.
00:08:35THERE SEEMS TO BE A LAISSEZ-FAIRE ATTITUDE ABOUT
00:08:39REGULATING HARMFUL SUBSTANCES LIKE TOBACCO.
00:08:42WILL YOU SUPPORT REGULATING VAPING, STRICTER LABELING ON
00:08:46TOBACCO PRODUCTS, MAKING SURE
00:08:52THEIR ACTUAL CESSATION PROGRAMS?
00:09:01IT OUGHT TO BE THE ABILITY OF
00:09:02THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO GET
00:09:07FUNDING FOR CESSATION PROGRAMS. >> SURE.
00:09:15FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW ME, I'M A STATE REP AND I WAS
00:09:18BORN WITH SPINA BIFIDA SO I'M
00:09:23VERY FAMILIAR WITH HEALTH CARE SITUATIONS, I HAD MY FIRST
00:09:26SURGERY AT ONE-DAY-OLD AND 21 SURGERIES BEFORE I WAS 12.
00:09:29CANCER IS PERSONAL TO ME.
00:09:33I LOST MY GRANDMOTHER TO
00:09:35PANCREATIC CANCERS, ONE OF THE
00:09:38MOST HORRIFIC EXPERIENCES I'VE SEEN. MY GRANDFATHER WAS EXPOSED TO
00:09:42AGENT ORANGE IN VIETNAM AND
00:09:46THAT'S THE REASON WHY I ENDED UP WITH MY DISABILITY.
00:09:51HE'S DEALT WITH SEVERAL BOUTS OF CANCER -- THROAT CANCER, SKIN CANCER.
00:09:56NEARLY THE DAY I LAUNCHED MY
00:09:59CAMPAIGN, MY SISTER WAS DIAGNOSED WITH STAGE TWO BREAST CANCER.
00:10:03LIKE FAR TOO MANY OF YOU.
00:10:06SHE HAS PRIVATE INSURANCE AND IT SAID TO HER, BECAUSE YOU HAVE
00:10:11STAGE TWO, WE WON'T COVER THE
00:10:15PET SCAN TO SEE IF IT HAS SPREAD TO OTHER PARTS OF YOUR BODY.
00:10:20CANCER HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT HAS TOUCHED MY LIFE AND I CARE DEEPLY ABOUT IT.
00:10:25I WOULD LOVE TO SEE GUARDRAILS
00:10:28ON INSURANCE COMPANIES BECAUSE I BELIEVE DOCTORS SHOULD BE DECIDING CARE, NOT INSURANCE COMPANIES.
00:10:34IN THE IOWA LEGISLATURE, I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO WORK ON A
00:10:39BILL -- BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THE
00:10:43CANCER CRISIS, SECOND HIGHEST
00:10:45RATES.
00:10:50I SPONSORED A BILL BECAUSE WE
00:10:55HAD NO STATE APPROPRIATIONS FOR RESEARCH.
00:10:58THE FIRST YEAR I GOT ON THE LEGISLATURE, I WANTED TO PUT ONE
00:11:01DOLLAR FOR EVERY IU ONE FOUR PEDIATRIC CANCER.
00:11:08-- FOR EVERY IOWAN FOR PEDIATRIC
00:11:14CANCER RESEARCH. OTHER STATES WERE PUTTING
00:11:17SIGNIFICANTLY MORE RESOURCES.
00:11:21ANOTHER AREA I WORK ON, THERE IS
00:11:25A BLADDER CANCER EPIDEMIC FOR
00:11:27INDIVIDUALS THAT USE CATHETERS.
00:11:33UNKNOWN TO A LOT OF PEOPLE. I'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA TO
00:11:37DISCUSS THIS ISSUE.
00:11:39THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS IN AN INTERMITTENT CATHETER LEADING
00:11:43TO BLADDER CANCER RATES BEING SOMETHING LIKE FOUR TO FIVE
00:11:46TIMES HIGHER IF YOU USE THE
00:11:50INTERMITTENT CATHETER, HIGHER
00:11:53THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE ARENA
00:11:56CAMPAIGN CALLED BETTER CATHETERS
00:11:57FOR IOWA I WANTED I WOULD TO BE
00:12:01THE FIRST STATE TO BAN THIS IN
00:12:06INTERMITTENT CATHETERS.
00:12:08WE HAD THE FIVE LARGEST
00:12:12PROVIDERS PULL IT OUT. NOW 20 MILLION CATHETERS MADE
00:12:16ANNUALLY NO LONGER CONTAIN THIS CANCEROUS COMPOUND.
00:12:21IT HAS TAUGHT ME HOW MUCH ADVOCACY CAN MOVE THE NEEDLE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
00:12:27I JUST WANTED TO LEVEL WITH YOU
00:12:30GUYS ON THAT.
00:12:33WHEN I JOINED THE LEGISLATURE, I SAID I DON'T CARE WHAT
00:12:37COMMITTEES YOU PUT ME ON BUT I DEMAND TO BE ON BUDGET POLICY
00:12:40FOR HHS.
00:12:44I BELIEVE HEALTH CARE IS A HUMAN RIGHT AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US
00:12:46HAVE A PUBLIC OPTION BECAUSE I'VE SEEN TOO MUCH OF MY
00:12:50LIFETIME THAT INDIVIDUALS HAVE
00:12:52LOST THE GENETIC LOTTERY AND
00:12:56HAVE TO DECLARE MEDICAL BANKRUPTCY.
00:12:59I THINK IT'S FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG.
00:13:02I GIVE YOU 100% MY PLEDGE THAT THE U.S. SENATE WILL HAVE A
00:13:06STRONG ALLY WITH ME TO ADDRESS
00:13:10THIS CANCER CRISIS. FOR YOUR QUESTION IN PARTICULAR,
00:13:14I WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE REGULATION ON VAPING AND WARNING
00:13:19LEVELS TO ADDRESS THE SITUATION
00:13:24WE ARE SEEING WITH CANCER RATES FROM TOBACCO.
00:13:28SO YES, YOU WILL HAVE A STRONG ADVOCATE IN ME.
00:13:33I THINK WE CAN TAKE SOME OF THAT TAXATION AND PUT IT TOWARD
00:13:37CANCER RESEARCH.
00:13:38>> I APPRECIATE YOUR RESPONSE
00:13:43AND ADVOCACY FOR CANCER, YOU MAY
00:13:47HAVE ANSWERED MY QUESTION BUT I'M GOING TO ASK IT TO BE SURE.
00:13:51IN MY SITUATION, MY HUSBAND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH STAGE IV
00:13:56COLORECTAL CANCER AND WE HAD VERY FEW OPTIONS.
00:14:00WE SPENT TWO YEARS RESEARCHING AND LOOKING INTO STUDIES.
00:14:04RESEARCH IT TAKES MONEY AND THE
00:14:08COST OF FEDERAL RESEARCH FOR CANCER PREVENTION AND TREATMENT INCREASES EVERY YEAR.
00:14:11MY QUESTION SPECIFICALLY IS,
00:14:14WILL YOU SUPPORT INCREASED
00:14:20FUNDING WITH THE NATIONAL
00:14:22INSTITUTES OF HEALTH AND NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE?
00:14:26>> YES.
00:14:28I KNOW WITH THE DOGE CUTS WE
00:14:32LOST ABOUT $33 MILLION THAT WERE COMING HERE FOR RESEARCH.
00:14:36I WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE RESEARCH DOLLARS COMING IN.
00:14:39I FOUGHT FOR THAT IN THE IOWA LEGISLATURE AND I WILL CERTAINLY
00:14:43FIGHT FOR THAT IN THE U.S. SENATE. WE NOT ONLY HAVE A CANCER
00:14:46CRISIS, WE HAVE AN OVERALL HEALTH CARE CRISIS IN THIS STATE.
00:14:51JUST IN THE SIX YEARS SINCE MY OPPONENTS HAVE GONE TO D.C.,
00:14:55WE'VE SEEN 840 TWO HEALTH CARE CLOSURES IN THIS STATE.
00:15:00THE MEDICARE CUTS HURT US
00:15:04DISPROPORTIONALLY BECAUSE WE ARE AN OLDER AND POORER STATE.
00:15:09YOU HAVE MY WORD THAT NOT ONLY WILL I FIGHT FOR FUNDING, I WILL
00:15:12FIGHT FOR A FULLY FUNDED
00:15:14MEDICARE, MEDICAID -- IOWA IS NEARLY DEAD LAST.
00:15:18I BELIEVE WE ARE 49TH FOR MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT.
00:15:23WHAT DOES THAT LEAD TO? LES SERVICES, LESS SUPPORTS.
00:15:29WITH THE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL,
00:15:31110,000 IU ONCE LOSING -- IOWANS
00:15:37LOSING HEALTH CARE.
00:15:41WITH ME YOU WILL HAVE SOMEONE NOT ONLY FIGHTING FOR FUNDING
00:15:43FOR CANCER BUT WE'VE GOT TO HAVE
00:15:45SUPPORTS IN PLACE, PROVIDERS,
00:15:48SERVICES AND SUPPORTS,
00:15:54PARTICULARLY IN RURAL COMMUNITIES BECAUSE IT DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTS RURAL COMMUNITIES.
00:15:58>> THANK YOU.
00:15:59>> GOSH, YOU'VE KIND OF ALREADY
00:16:04TOUCHED ON THIS A LITTLE BIT BUT I WILL DO WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO DO.
00:16:09I WANT TO TALK ABOUT CHILDHOOD
00:16:13CANCER. IT HASN'T AFFECTED ME DIRECTLY
00:16:15BUT A VERY GOOD FRIEND OF MINE,
00:16:18HER SEVEN-YEAR-OLD GRANDSON WAS JUST DIAGNOSED WITH A FORM OF
00:16:22LYMPHOMA. WE HAVE WATCHED THE FAMILY GO
00:16:27THROUGH SOMETHING VERY
00:16:29UNEXPECTED, THE TYPE OF CANCER
00:16:32HE HAS HAS AN 80% CURE RATE BUT
00:16:37ONLY AFTER EIGHT MONTHS OF INTENSIVE TREATMENT.
00:16:40HE'S HAD A VERY DIFFICULT SUMMER
00:16:44DUE TO REACTIONS TO THE TREATMENT.
00:16:48BUT HE'S UNDER GREAT CARE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA.
00:16:50THEY DRIVE BACK AND FORTH EVERY
00:16:55WEEK, SOMETIMES HE HAS TO BE THERE FIVE DAYS IN A ROW BUT HE
00:16:58CANNOT SPEND THE NIGHT, THEY
00:17:01HAVE TO DRIVE BACK AND FORTH OR SPEND THE NIGHT AT THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE.
00:17:08AS YOU KNOW, $3 MILLION WAS
00:17:14APPROPRIATED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA.
00:17:15>> YES, I WORKED ON THAT BILL.
00:17:22>> THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK.
00:17:27I THINK AS PUBLIC CITIZENS, THERE'S SO MUCH WE DON'T HEAR
00:17:30ABOUT OR KNOW ABOUT.
00:17:32I FEEL EVEN SILLY CONTINUING TO
00:17:36ASK MY QUESTION BUT I WELL. >> GO AHEAD. >> I KNOW YOUR ANSWER.
00:17:41CONGRESS PASSED LANDMARK
00:17:46ADVANCEMENTS THAT YOU MENTIONED.
00:17:51EXPANDS ACCESS TO PEDIATRIC
00:17:54CANCER RESEARCH AND EXPANDS CARE AND QUALITY OF LIFE.
00:17:58WILL YOU BUILD OUT A WAS
00:18:01COMMITMENT BY SUPPORTING CONTINUED FUNDING FOR THESE
00:18:04PEDIATRIC CANCER FUNDS?
00:18:13>> 100%, IT WILL BE ONE OF MY
00:18:17NUMBER ONE PRIORITIES, TO SEE US HAVE MORE SUPPORT AND MORE RESEARCH.
00:18:22SINCE I'D ALREADY COULD'VE ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION, I WILL
00:18:26LEAN IN ON ONE ASPECT OF CANCER
00:18:27I HADN'T TOUCHED ON YET, I THINK
00:18:30IF WE ARE GOING TO REALLY HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT CANCER, WE
00:18:33NEED TO TALK ABOUT ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE ARE SEEING SUCH HIGH RATES.
00:18:38PEOPLE WILL SAY, WE HAVE ONE OF
00:18:42THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF BINGE
00:18:43DRINKING, OR WE ARE OLDER BUT
00:18:48POORER.
00:18:52I THINK IF WE ARE GOING TO BE HONEST ABOUT THE CANCER CRISIS,
00:18:55THIS IS LARGELY DUE TO A WATER QUALITY CRISIS.
00:19:00I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADDRESS THIS ON THE FRONT SIDE, GENUINE PREVENTION.
00:19:05I'D LIKE TO SEE THERAPY -- MORE
00:19:12INFO STRUCTURE IN PLACE FOR
00:19:14NITRITE REMOVAL PLANTS AND
00:19:18INCENTIVES FOR FARMERS TO NOT PUT DOWN FERTILIZER IN THE
00:19:20WINTER MONTHS TO REALLY COME LEGITIMATELY ADDRESS THE WATER
00:19:24QUALITY SIDE. IN THE U.S. SENATE, I PROMISE
00:19:28YOU, THE ONE COMMITTEE, JUST
00:19:31LIKE I DID WHEN I WENT TO THE EYE WERE LEGISLATURE, THAT I WILL BE DEMANDING TO BE ON WILL
00:19:35BE THE HEALTH COMMITTEE. THIS IS THE ISSUE I'M THE MOST
00:19:39PASSIONATE ABOUT, THIS IS THE ISSUE I CARE ABOUT.
00:19:44I'VE SEEN THE EFFECTS OF CANCER FAR TOO MUCH DIRECTLY IN MY LIFE.
00:19:49I BELIEVE HEALTH CARE IS A HUMAN
00:19:51RIGHT AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE
00:19:54DOCTORS ARE DECIDING CARE, NOT INSURANCE COMPANIES. ON THE PREVENTION SIDE, ON
00:19:58FUNDING FOR RESEARCH TO REALLY
00:20:01GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS COME
00:20:03UP TO FIND GENUINE CURES, AND ON THE CITED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE
00:20:07THE FUNDING IN PLACE SO WE HAVE EVER STRUCTURE FOR HEALTH CARE.
00:20:10SO WE ARE NOT JUST CLOSING HEALTH CLINICS OVER AND OVER.
00:20:15ON ALL OF THESE BECAUSE IT'S THE TOTALITY OF THIS TO ADDRESS THIS.
00:20:20I WILL BE FIGHTING FOR EVERY ONE OF THESE ISSUES.
00:20:22>> TO ADD TO WHAT YOU SAID,
00:20:26BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A NEW EXPERIENCE FOR ME, ONE OF THE
00:20:28EMERGING THEMES I'VE HEARD FROM
00:20:32A VARIETY OF CAREGIVERS, WHEN I
00:20:36SAID IN MY BREAST CARE SURGEONS OFFICE MULTIPLE TIMES, MY
00:20:39ONCOLOGIST OFFICE MULTIPLE
00:20:45TIMES, AND WHILE SITTING IN THE
00:20:49RADIATION TREATMENT ROOM, IS HOW
00:20:50WE PEOPLE YOU HEAR, ESPECIALLY
00:20:54IN THE BREAST CANCER WORLD,
00:20:55DON'T GET ANY FURTHER THAN A
00:20:59DIAGNOSTIC MAMMOGRAM OR BIOPSY
00:21:01BECAUSE THEY CAN'T PAY FOR IT OR THEY STOP TREATMENTS MIDWAY THROUGH.
00:21:06I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT WAS A THING.
00:21:08WE HAVE A LOCAL FOUNDATION AND I
00:21:12WAS AT A CELEBRATION BREAKFAST IN APRIL AND I SAT AT A TABLE,
00:21:15AND THE WOMAN NEXT TO ME I HAD NOT MET BEFORE, I INTRODUCED
00:21:19MYSELF AND I SAID WHAT'S YOUR CONNECTION? I HAD BEEN ON THE BOARD OF THE FOUNDATION.
00:21:24SHE SAID I'M A BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR AND SHE TOLD ME HER STORY.
00:21:28I HADN'T CHIMED IN YET AND SHE SAID I HAD TO SET UP A FUND
00:21:31BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE, YOU WOULDN'T EVEN
00:21:35REALIZE IT.
00:21:38SHE STARTED QUOTING LOCAL
00:21:41STATISTICS OF HOW MONEY PEOPLE
00:21:44DO OR DON'T SEEK TREATMENT AND
00:21:46THEY NEEDED, BECAUSE OF LACK OF
00:21:49FINANCIAL ACCESS OR INSURANCE.
00:21:51SHE'S PRIVATELY RAISING A LOAD
00:21:54OF MONEY FOR PEOPLE AND THEN SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT THE
00:21:58FUND TO THE ONCOLOGIST OFFICE IN
00:22:01OUR TOWN -- IT'S FOR ANY CANCER.
00:22:05TALK ABOUT A GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT.
00:22:08I THOUGHT THAT WAS ONE MORE THING, I'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING AS WELL.
00:22:12THERE ARE SO NEAT PEOPLE OUT
00:22:13THERE LIKE HER THAT ARE SILENTLY
00:22:17RAISING MONEY SO OTHER PEOPLE CAN GET TREATMENT OR A RIDE TO TREATMENT.
00:22:23ACCESSIBILITY AND AFFORDABILITY IS REALLY IMPORTANT. >> THERE'S A BEAUTY AND KINDNESS
00:22:27TO THE PEOPLE OF IOWA WHERE WE ARE WILLING TO HELP OUT OUR
00:22:30FELLOW IOWANS BUT I THINK IT'S
00:22:35CRIMINAL THAT IN THE RICHEST COUNTRY ON EARTH PEOPLE HAVE TO DO GOFUNDME'S JUST TO GET BASIC HEALTH CARE.
00:22:40WHEN I WAS RUNNING MY BILL FOR
00:22:44THE $3.2 MILLION TO GO TO CANCER RESEARCH, I SAID WE'VE GOT THIS
00:22:47BEAUTIFUL TRADITION WHERE WE WAVED TO THE KIDS.
00:22:54THE KIDS DON'T JUST NEED OUR WAVES, THEY NEED OUR MONEY AND
00:22:57OUR RESOURCES TO MEANINGFULLY INVEST.
00:23:00THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO DO.
00:23:02>> YOU TALK ABOUT ACCESS, WE ARE
00:23:05REALLY BLESSED. WE HAVE A GREAT HEALTH CENTER.
00:23:11THAT IS THE LINCHPIN OF ACCESS FOR MANY PEOPLE.
00:23:15THEY ARE IN THAT FUNDING GAP
00:23:18WHERE THEY DON'T QUALIFY FOR MEDICAID, THEY DON'T HAVE INSURANCE.
00:23:25BUT ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE A BROADER REACH ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
00:23:29BOOTS ON THE GROUND. >> ANOTHER THING UP TRY TO
00:23:33ADDRESS ON THE HEALTH CARE SIDE,
00:23:34YOU TALKED ABOUT IT, THE CLIFF
00:23:39OF INDIVIDUALS ON MEDICAID. YOU MAKE FIVE DOLLARS OR TWO IN
00:23:43DOLLARS -- $10 TOO MUCH, AND YOU GET KICKED OFF.
00:23:48THIS IS THE DOWNSTREAM EFFECT OF HEALTH CARE CUTS.
00:23:51WE HAVE TO MAKE HIM PERCENT LEVELS HIGHER AND PUT MORE
00:23:54ENERGY AND SUPPORTS TO ADDRESS
00:23:57THIS BECAUSE WE HAVE A CANCER CRISIS INTO HEALTH CARE CRISIS.
00:24:01YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT PEDIATRIC
00:24:04CANCER, FOR THE HIGHEST RATES
00:24:07OF PEDIATRIC CANCER.
00:24:09>> THE CONUNDRUM IS THE CURE
00:24:12RATE IS SO HIGH THAT THE
00:24:15INTENSITY IS A CONCERN.
00:24:18>> ON THE PREVENTION SIDE, YOU
00:24:22CAN IMAGINE, WE ARE CLOSING HEALTH CARE CLINICS ALL OVER THE PLACE.
00:24:26YOU HAVE LESS PEOPLE THAT HAVE
00:24:31NO INSURANCE OR ARE UNDERINSURED AND THEY WILL WAIT.
00:24:34MAYBE WHEN THEY FEEL A BUMP,
00:24:38THEY SAY I DON'T HAVE $300 OR
00:24:41$500 IN MY POCKET TO PAY FOR THAT SO I WILL WAIT.
00:24:44AND MAYBE THEY WAIT TOO LONG.
00:24:52ALL THOSE PLACES CLOSING AND YOU CAN IMAGINE AS WELL AS PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO MAKE THEIR DOLLAR
00:24:54GO FURTHER, FOR PEOPLE IN WILL
00:24:59THOMAS -- MULTOMAH HAVING TO
00:25:04DRIVE ALL THE WAY UP, IT IS
00:25:07BARRIER AFTER BARRIER WE SEE IN A VERY BROKEN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM TOP TO BOTTOM.
00:25:13>> TOUCHING ON CLINICAL TRIALS,
00:25:18WE KNOW THEY ARE KEY TO ADVANCING NEW STANDARDS OF CARE
00:25:22THAT NOT ONLY IMPROVE SURVIVAL AT THE QUALITY OF LIFE ARE CANCER PATIENTS.
00:25:27IN ORDER FOR CLINICAL TRIALS TO
00:25:28BE SUCCESSFUL, THEY DO HAVE TO ADEQUATELY REPRESENT THE AMERICAN POPULATION.
00:25:33FOR A LOT OF RURAL AMERICANS,
00:25:37DOING A CLINICAL TRIAL COSTS A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY.
00:25:43I WAS PART OF A LOT OF DIFFERENT STUDIES.
00:25:46I'M PART OF A STUDY THAT WILL FOLLOW ME THE REST OF MY LIFE.
00:25:50I THINK OF MY MOM AND I, EVEN THOUGH I WAS A STUDENT, I
00:25:54COULDN'T STAY IN IOWA CITY DURING MY TREATMENT.
00:25:59I WENT HOME ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF AWAY.
00:26:01JUST MY MOM DRAGGING ME TO DO MY
00:26:05RADIATION THERAPY, MY SURGERIES, IT'S A REALLY PAINFUL PROCESS TO
00:26:09SIT IN THE CAR FOR A WHILE AFTER YOU JUST HAD A PAINFUL SURGERY.
00:26:12FOR A LOT OF IOWANS, A CLINICAL
00:26:17TRIAL ISN'T AN OPTION BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD IT. IT'S NOT ACCESSIBLE FOR THEM.
00:26:27SO MY QUESTION IS, WILL YOU SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT ENSURES THAT CLINICAL TRIALS ARE ACCESSIBLE FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES?
00:26:31>> YES, ABSOLUTELY.
00:26:45I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE
00:26:46RESEARCH DOLLARS, MORE SUPPORTS,
00:26:51FOR CLINICAL TRIALS.
00:26:55THIS IS JUST THE TOTALITY OF THE SITUATION IN ALL THE WAYS THAT
00:26:57WE NEED TO ATTACK THIS, BUT IN
00:27:02THE U.S. SENATE, CLEARLY I'M GOING TO FIGHT FOR EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR TO COME HERE AND PARTICULARLY IN THE RURAL
00:27:06COMMUNITIES. 110,000 IOWANS THAT ARE GOING TO GET KICKED OFF THEIR HEALTHCARE,
00:27:09119 SEEING HEALTHCARE PREMIUMS DOUBLE OR TRIPLE THE FUNDING THAT WE'RE GOING TO END UP
00:27:12LOSING WITH THE BIG BEAUTIFUL
00:27:15BILL WITH MEDICAID CUTS. WHAT WE'RE GOING TO END UP MAKING BACK FROM RURAL
00:27:18HEALTHCARE DOLLARS IS JUST GOING
00:27:19TO BE A DROP IN THE BUCKET IN
00:27:24COMPARISON. AND SO UNFORTUNATELY WHAT WE'RE
00:27:26SEEING RIGHT NOW FEDERALLY IS JUST GOING THE WRONG DIRECTION.
00:27:30IT'S CUT AFTER CUT AFTER CUT AGAIN NIH DOLLARS LOSING $33 MILLION COMING HERE.
00:27:33I WANT TO FIGHT TO REALLY
00:27:36SERIOUSLY ADDRESS THIS. I BELIEVE HEALTHCARE IS A HUMAN
00:27:40RIGHT. AND I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD ARRIVE AT A PUBLIC OPTION SO THAT EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN,
00:27:43EVERY IOWAN, EVERY AMERICAN
00:27:49EVERY IOWAN, EVERY AMERICAN, REGARDLESS IF THEY'VE WON THE GENETIC LOTTERY OR NOT, URBAN OR
00:27:53RURAL, HAS ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTHCARE. BUT CERTAINLY ON YOUR SIDE OF THINGS, YES, ABSOLUTELY, THAT'S WHAT I'LL BE UP THERE FIGHTING FOR.
00:27:56SOME OF IT DOESN'T EVEN COST MONEY.
00:27:57>> I MEAN, SEVERAL YEARS AGO WE WERE ADVOCATING THERE'S THIS
00:28:01ODDITY IN THE MEDICARE SYSTEM WHERE IT'S WHEN PEOPLE ARE INVOLVED IN A CLINICAL TRIAL,
00:28:04THERE'S SOME AMBIGUITY WHETHER
00:28:07THE TRIAL'S SPONSOR CAN REIMBURSE THE PARTICIPANT FOR THEIR TRAVEL COSTS, WHICH SEEMS
00:28:11TO COST NOTHING. IT'S JUST CLEARING UP A LITTLE AMBIGUITY IN THE MEDICARE REGULATIONS.
00:28:15AND WE COULDN'T EVEN GET
00:28:20ANYBODY'S EAR IN THAT. WE WERE AT MARIONETTE MILLER MEEKS'S OFFICE, AND WE USED THE WRONG ACRONYM.
00:28:23IT HAD DIVERSITY IN THE NAME OF THE BILL. WELL, I'VE HEARD TOO MUCH
00:28:26DIVERSITY.
00:28:39WHEN WE SAID TO HER, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF IOWANS MEET THE DEFINITION OF DIVERSITY BECAUSE THEY'RE UNDERSERVED, THEY'RE
00:28:43RURAL, THEY'RE LOW INCOME. DIVERSITY IS A LOT MORE THAN THE COLOR GROUPS IT IS, AND THAT'S REALLY THE LINCHPIN OF THE
00:28:46AMERICAN CANCER STUDIES. ADVOCACY EFFORTS ACCESS BECAUSE YOU KNOW I HAD A GREAT OUTCOME
00:28:50WITH MY PROSTATE CANCER BECAUSE I HAD GREAT INSURANCE. I HAD THE FLEXIBILITY TO GO WHERE I WHEN I WANTED.
00:28:54BUT OTHER PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THAT ACCESS.
00:28:56>> THAT'S CORRECT.
00:29:03>> IT'S A BIG ONE HERE. >> IT'S PART OF THE SCRIPT.
00:29:06>> WE CAN GO OFF SCRIPT TOO.
00:29:11USUALLY WHEN WE DO THESE, I LIKE TO JUST HAVE ORGANIC CONVERSATIONS, SO IT'S A
00:29:13DIFFERENT DIRECTION YOU GUYS GO.
00:29:15>> SO WHERE YOU LIVE SHOULD NOT
00:29:18DETERMINE IF YOU LIVE, RIGHT?
00:29:22IT'S A GOOD ONE, AND YOU'VE
00:29:27TOUCHED ON RURAL IOWANS AND
00:29:27HEALTHCARE CLINICS CLOSING.
00:29:32SO WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE IN RURAL
00:29:36PARTS OF IOWA JUST HAVE A TOUGHER TIME.
00:29:37THEY MIGHT BE DIAGNOSED LATER.
00:29:44TRAVEL, LIKE YOU TOUCHED ON, CAN BE TOUGH. THEY MAY HAVE LESS INSURANCE OPTIONS OR EVEN FEWER SPECIALISTS IN THEIR AREA.
00:29:48SO DO YOU COMMIT TO SUPPORTING POLICIES THAT IMPROVE ACCESS TO
00:29:50CARE REGARDLESS OF YOUR ECONOMIC
00:29:53STATUS OR GEOGRAPHY AND WHERE YOU LIVE?
00:29:55>> ABSOLUTELY, 100%.
00:29:59I DON'T CARE IF YOU GREW UP IN
00:29:59AN URBAN AREA OR A RURAL AREA,
00:30:04YOU SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO NOT ONLY QUALITY HEALTHCARE, BUT QUALITY EDUCATION. WHAT WE'RE SEEING HAPPENING IN RURAL IOWA RIGHT NOW IS JUST
00:30:07FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG.
00:30:10WE'RE LOSING A WAY OF LIFE.
00:30:1270 OF OUR 99 COUNTIES ARE SEEING
00:30:16POPULATION REDUCED. WHERE YOU GO THROUGH RURAL IOWA RIGHT NOW, IT LOOKS LIKE A VACUUM CLEANER'S GONE THROUGH
00:30:20THERE BECAUSE WE'VE ONLY LOOKED OUT FOR LARGE MULTINATIONAL
00:30:23CORPORATIONS, NOT SMALL
00:30:27BUSINESSES. WE'RE CLOSING GROCERY STORES. THAT'S DUE TO SNAP CUTS,
00:30:31DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTS RURAL COMMUNITIES. WE'VE CLOSED 160 RURAL PHARMACIES, LARGELY INDEPENDENT
00:30:35PHARMACIES, BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T
00:30:40DONE ENOUGH ON PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGEMENT, FOR EXAMPLE. YOU HEARD ME GIVE ME THE NUMBER
00:30:44ON HEALTHCARE CLINICS CLOSING, 842. THE MAJORITY OF THOSE ARE
00:30:45HAPPENING IN RURAL COMMUNITIES,
00:30:50AND NOW WE'RE ALSO CLOSING RURAL SCHOOLS BECAUSE WE'RE GIVING
00:30:53PRIVATE SCHOOLS PUBLIC MONEY.
00:30:56IF WE REALLY WANT TO ADDRESS
00:30:57THIS, WE'VE GOT TO PUT SUPPORTS
00:31:01AND INVESTMENT INTO RURAL COMMUNITIES. AND ONE OF THE BEST WAYS, I SAY THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A RURAL
00:31:04HEALTHCARE CLINIC TO HAVE A VIBRANT RURAL COMMUNITY.
00:31:07IT'S ONE OF THE PILLARS OF THE COMMUNITY.
00:31:10AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE SEEING
00:31:11WITH THESE CUTS AND THE MEDICAID
00:31:28CUTS IN PARTICULAR, THEY DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT RURAL COMMUNITIES. I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERY SINGLE RURAL COMMUNITY HAS ACCESS TO
00:31:32WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION AND WORLD-CLASS HEALTHCARE. BECAUSE WHERE YOU LIVE SHOULDN'T DETERMINE IF YOU LIVE.
00:31:34I THINK THAT IS AN EXCELLENT
00:31:38WAY -- I MAY STEAL THAT TRUTH,
00:31:41THAT IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE, AND YOU
00:31:42KNOW, I WAS FORTUNATE.
00:31:48I GREW UP IN AN URBAN AREA.
00:31:52COUNCIL BLUFFS. WE HAVE TWO GREAT HOSPITALS, JIA EDMONSON AND MERCY.
00:31:55I'M GOING THROUGH THESE RURAL
00:32:00COMMUNITIES AND SEEING FOLKS THAT ARE SAYING FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ANY SORT OF HEALTHCARE ACCESS, I'M DRIVING AN HOUR, AN HOUR AND A HALF.
00:32:04THE FACT THAT WE'RE BASICALLY DEAD LAST FOR MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENTS, MEDICAID
00:32:08REIMBURSEMENTS, OBGYN'S, MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS, MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS, IT'S A HEALTHCARE CRISIS THAT IS LEADING TO A CANCER CRISIS, AND BOTH NEED TO
00:32:12BE ADDRESSED. AND THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GOING TO
00:32:14BE ABLE TO ADDRESS IT IS TO FINALLY PRIORITIZE THIS ISSUE,
00:32:17AND BY THAT IT CERTAINLY IS GOING TO MEAN MORE FUNDING. >> SO THIS ISN'T NECESSARILY A
00:32:21FUNDING ISSUE, BUT IT'S KIND OF A POLICY ISSUE. ONE OF THE ISSUES THE ACS CANADA HAS RESISTED HAVE BEEN THE WORK REQUIREMENTS FOR MEDICAID
00:32:25ELIGIBILITY.
00:32:57BECAUSE OUR FEELING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE GOING THROUGH CANCER TREATMENT, THEY'RE PULLED 20 DIFFERENT WAYS, AND IF THEY'VE GOT TO GO
00:33:00BACK AND FILL OUT CERTAIN FORMS OR IF THEY FALL OFF BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T GET THEIR FORMS TO GET BACK ON.
00:33:03SO, WHAT WOULD YOUR APPROACH BE
00:33:07TO THE BALANCING ACT BETWEEN -- ADMITTEDLY SOME PEOPLE ARE ON MEDICAID THAT SHOULDN'T BE OR ARE USING A SLEDGEHAMMER TO KILL
00:33:11AN ANT. WITH THE WORK REQUIREMENTS. SO HOW WOULD YOU TAILOR A RESPONSE TO THAT?
00:33:13>> I'M ALL FOR ADDRESSING WASTE,
00:33:20FRAUD, AND ABUSE, BUT AS YOU SAID, THIS SHOULDN'T BE DONE WITH A HAMMER. IT SHOULD BE DONE WITH A SCALPEL. AND I THINK THAT JUST THESE
00:33:25BROAD MEDICAID CUTS IS INCORRECT. I THINK IF YOU ARE ABLE-BODIED AND YOU CAN WORK, YOU CERTAINLY
00:33:27SHOULD BE WORKING, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THIS -- ONE OF THE
00:33:31REASONS WHY I ENDED UP GETTING INVOLVED IN POLITICS TO BEGIN WITH WAS BECAUSE OF THE
00:33:35PRIVATIZATION OF MEDICAID AND WHAT WE WERE SEEING WAS AN INCREASE IN DENIAL RATES OF
00:33:391000%. WHAT I WAS DOING WAS I WAS ASSESSING AND PROVIDING MOBILITY
00:33:43DEVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH PROGRESSIVE CONDITIONS, SO CONDITIONS LIKE MUSCULAR
00:33:47DYSTROPHY, ALS, LOU GEHRIG'S DISEASE. AND EVERY SINGLE DAY AS I'M INTERACTING WITH THESE FOLKS, I'M SEEING THEM DENIED CARE,
00:33:51DENIED CARE, SO THEY'RE HAVING
00:33:53TO DECLARE MEDICAL BANKRUPTCY,
00:33:57DIVORCE THEIR SPOUSE, AND ESPECIALLY IN A CASE LIKE ALS, OFTENTIMES IT'S 18 MONTHS FROM ASSESSMENT TO DEATH, AND YOU'RE
00:34:00GOING TO DENY THEM A POWER WHEELCHAIR?
00:34:04IT SEEMS SO FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG.
00:34:05ALSO, SINCE THE PRIVATIZATION OF
00:34:10MEDICAID IN THIS STATE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT NOW 26,000 DISABLED INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ON A CBS WAITLIST. THE LONGEST WAIT FOR CARE NOW IS NINE YEARS.
00:34:14IMAGINE THAT'S YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER THAT'S GOING THROUGH
00:34:15THAT.
00:34:20AND SO YEAH, I WANT TO SEE A
00:34:25FULLY FUNDED MEDICAID, IS WHAT I WANT TO SEE, WITH LESS UNNECESSARY BARRIERS AND
00:34:28BUREAUCRACY TO CARE. I WANT TO SEE THE THE ENDING OF
00:34:31THIS CLIFF SYSTEM.
00:34:43I WANT TO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT I WAS REALLY PROUD TO WORK ON IN THE IOWA LEGISLATURE WAS A BILL THAT I WAS CALLING WORK WITHOUT WORK.
00:34:47WHICH WAS INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ON MEDICAID SHOULDN'T HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN WORKING AND THEIR HEALTHCARE, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT ARE DISABLED, THAT THE ONLY
00:34:50REASON THEY'RE ON MEDICAID IS BECAUSE THEY NEED A DIRECT CARE WORKER JUST TO GET OUT OF BED. AND SO THE MORE MONEY YOU MAKE, THE MORE MONEY YOU SHOULD PAY
00:34:54INTO THE SYSTEM. BUT PEOPLE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO
00:34:57CHOOSE BETWEEN THEIR HEALTHCARE
00:34:59AND WORKING, AND EVERYONE SHOULD
00:35:06HAVE ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTHCARE.
00:35:10>> IT'S MORE OF A SLIDING SCALE.
00:35:16>> A SLIDING SCALE. I THINK THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO ADDRESS THIS,
00:35:19BUT A LOT OF THIS COMES DOWN TO FUNDING AND IT COMES DOWN TO RESOURCES AND PRIVATIZATION. I THINK THAT IT IS ALSO FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG THAT HERE WE
00:35:23ARE, WE FIND OURSELVES IN ANOTHER FOREVER WAR.
00:35:27AGAIN, I'M A PRODUCT OF THE GENERATIONAL CONSEQUENCES TO THESE FOREVER WARS WHERE WE SPEND $1 TRILLION IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.
00:35:30HERE WE ARE SPENDING A BILLION DOLLARS A DAY IN THIS CONFLICT. AND WE'RE BEING TOLD THAT WE DON'T HAVE MONEY FOR HEALTHCARE
00:35:34OR FOOD ASSISTANCE, AND WE'RE CLOSING SCHOOLS AND ROADS AND
00:35:38HOSPITALS AND LEADING THE NATION IN FARM FORECLOSURES, BUT WE'RE BEING TOLD THAT OUR PEOPLE HERE
00:35:42DON'T HAVE MONEY FOR HEALTHCARE.
00:35:43I'M SORRY, I THINK THAT THAT'S
00:35:46WRONG. YOU KNOW, TO MAKE 110,000 IOWANS LOSE THEIR HEALTHCARE AND
00:35:49THOUSANDS MORE LOSE BASIC FOOD ASSISTANCE JUST TO GIVE TAX
00:35:52BREAKS TO BILLIONAIRES, I THINK
00:35:56THAT'S FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG.
00:36:06I THINK THAT IS HAVING YOUR PRIORITIES BACKWARDS. I DON'T COME FROM WEALTH.
00:36:09I DON'T COME FROM PRIVILEGE.
00:36:14I WENT THROUGH A LOT OF HEALTHCARE STRUGGLE IN MY LIFE AND I'VE SEEN IT FAR TOO MUCH.
00:36:18AND I THINK THAT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE MISSING IN DC IS PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE, UH, BOTH ON ECONOMIC STRUGGLE AND HEALTHCARE STRUGGLE.
00:36:22BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE WHEN YOU'VE EXPERIENCED THAT STRUGGLE FIRSTHAND, YOU'LL HAVE A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF EMPATHY AND A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF FIGHT, AND
00:36:26THAT'S WHAT WE'RE MISSING, AND
00:36:30WE NEED PEOPLE TO GO UP TO D.C. TO WORK IN A BIPARTISAN MANNER TO PROVIDE SOLUTIONS TO PEOPLE'S PROBLEMS. QUALITY, ACCESSIBLE HEALTH CARE
00:36:34SHOULD NOT BE A PARTISAN ISSUE. FUNDING FOR ADDRESSING THE
00:36:37CANCER CRISIS SHOULD NOT BE A PARTISAN ISSUE. IT SHOULD BE BIPARTISANLY SUPPORTED.
00:36:41WE ALL SHOULD BE WORKING
00:36:45TOGETHER TO ADDRESS THIS, AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS REALLY, REALLY PROUD OF IN THE IOWA
00:36:48LEGISLATURE. I WAS ONE OF THE MOST BIPARTISAN.
00:36:51I WAS ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE FOR THAT REASON.
00:36:54AND AS YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY, EVEN HERE TODAY WITH SOME OF THE EXAMPLES THAT I GAVE YOU,
00:36:57SOMETIMES YOU DON'T END UP GETTING CREDIT FOR THE WORK THAT
00:37:00YOU END UP DOING ON THESE BILLS,
00:37:02BUT WHAT I'VE LEARNED IN THE LEGISLATURE IS IT'S AMAZING WHAT
00:37:06WE CAN GET DONE WHEN PEOPLE
00:37:07DON'T CARE WHO TAKES CREDIT.
00:37:10AND WHEN WE'RE WILLING TO WORK TO DO THE HARD WORK BEHIND THE
00:37:12SCENES TO WORK IN A BIPARTISAN MANNER TO GET RESULTS, AND
00:37:16THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO.
00:37:20I'M NOT GOING UP THERE TO PLAY POLITICAL GAMES. I'M GOING UP THERE TO, TO MAKE
00:37:24SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE HEALTHCARE AND PEOPLE ARE TAKEN CARE OF. I THINK THAT'S AN IOWA FIRST APPROACH.
00:37:27I THINK THAT'S AN AMERICA FIRST APPROACH, AND I WOULD LOVE TO,
00:37:29IF I ONLY GOT ONE THING DONE IN
00:37:35THE U.S. SENATE, I WOULD LOVE TO
00:37:39ARRIVE AT A PUBLIC AUCTION SO EVERY AMERICAN, EVERY IOWAN HAS
00:37:41ACCESS TO CARE, AND I WOULD LOVE
00:37:46TO, EVEN IF IT MEANS ONLY SIX EARS IN THE SENATE, COMING BACK AND SAYING WE MADE MEANINGFUL PROGRESS ON THIS CANCER ISSUE, AND IOWA NO LONGER LEADS THE
00:37:50NATION IN CANCER RATES, AND WE STOPPED THIS GROWING CANCER EPIDEMIC. IF I GOT ONE THING DONE, THAT'S
00:37:53WHAT I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO DO
00:37:57IN THE U.S. SENATE.
00:37:58>> I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
00:38:03>> SURE.
00:38:04>> SO THIS IS ONE OF THE
00:38:12QUESTIONS THAT WE PREPARED, BUT
00:38:13THIS HAS COME UP IN EVERY SINGLE
00:38:18ONE OF OUR CONVERSATIONS. WATER QUALITY. I KNOW YOU TOUCHED ON IT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU THE
00:38:22OPPORTUNITY TO LIKE SPECIFICALLY
00:38:23TALK ABOUT WATER QUALITY IF YOU,
00:38:28HAVE A PLAN.
00:38:31WHERE DOES THAT LIE WITH YOUR PRIORITIES? >> ABSOLUTELY, YOU CANNOT TALK ABOUT ADDRESSING CANCER IN THIS
00:38:35STATE WITHOUT ADDRESSING WATER QUALITY. THIS IS SOMETHING IN THE IOWA LEGISLATURE I WORKED ON IN THE YEARS THAT I WAS THERE. I RAN A BILL TO RETURN THE
00:38:39$600,000 IN WATER QUALITY FUNDING THAT WE WERE DEFUNDING. I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT THAT
00:38:41WE CAN DO AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
00:38:52I MEAN, WE'RE NOT ADDRESSING THIS AT THE STATE LEVEL OR AT
00:38:54THE FEDERAL LEVEL EFFECTIVELY, SO I TOLD YOU SOME OF MY IDEAS
00:38:57IS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE FUNDING GOING TO WATER QUALITY SENSORS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE MONEY
00:39:01GOING TO INFRASTRUCTURE TO HAVE MORE NITRATE RENEWABLE PLANTS, BUT WE'VE GOT TO ADDRESS THIS ON
00:39:05THE PREVENTION SIDE. AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE INCENTIVES TO FARMERS, LEGITIMATE INCENTIVES FOR COVERED CROPS, LAND BARRIERS,
00:39:08AND PREVENTING FARMERS FROM
00:39:11PUTTING DOWN FERTILIZER IN THE WINTER MONTHS. AND IT'S ONLY THROUGH REAL
00:39:15COORDINATION AND COOPERATION BOTH AT THE FEDERAL AND THE STATE LEVEL TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THIS, BUT WE HAVE A UNIQUE IN THIS STATE, UNIQUELY A
00:39:18WATER QUALITY CRISIS THAT IS LEADING TO A UNIQUE IOWA CANCER
00:39:21CRISIS.
00:39:28I WANT TO ADDRESS BOTH OF THOSE BECAUSE YOU CAN'T ADDRESS ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER.
00:39:32I DON'T CARE WHERE YOU SIT ON THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM EITHER. THIS IS NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE,
00:39:35WHETHER YOU'RE A REPUBLICAN, AN INDEPENDENT, OR A DEMOCRAT,
00:39:38EVERY SINGLE IOWAN DESERVES ACCESS TO DRINKABLE WATER, AND WE SHOULDN'T BE IN THESE RURAL COMMUNITIES WITH NO HEALTHCARE
00:39:42CLINICS AND WE'RE CLOSING THEM DOWN AND PEOPLE WORRIED ABOUT, AM I GOING TO GET CANCER FROM
00:39:46DRINKING THIS WATER? NO, THAT IS WRONG.
00:39:48THAT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING IN
00:39:55THE RICHEST COUNTRY ON EARTH. AND SO LET'S PRIORITIZE THIS. LET'S WORK TOGETHER. LET'S SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, AND WE
00:39:59CAN. WE HAVE THE RESOURCES. WE'RE JUST PUTTING THEM IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. >> THANK YOU.
00:40:02>> LET'S TAKE THE BILLION DOLLARS WE'RE SPENDING ON THE WAR IN IRAN AND LET'S PUT IT
00:40:06TOWARDS ADDRESSING THIS CANCER CRISIS.
00:40:07>> WE LOVE THAT.
00:40:14ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM -- >> YEAH, LET'S GO OFF SCRIPT,
00:40:18EVERYBODY. >> AND THEN IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER LIKE HIGH LEVEL TOPICS, I
00:40:21KNOW WE'VE TOUCHED ON A LOT OF
00:40:26DIFFERENT TOPICS TODAY, BUT IF
00:40:26YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT
00:40:34TO BRING UP AND SHARE WITH US -- >> ANYTHING ELSE YOU GUYS THINK
00:40:38ARE RELEVANT OR THAT I HAVEN'T TOUCHED ON OR TALKED ABOUT?
00:40:39>> YOU KNOW, I THINK OUR MEDICAID RATES WERE 49TH FOR
00:40:43DOZENS OF YEARS.
00:40:43>> YES.
00:40:52>> EVEN AT THE TIME WHEN -- BOTH GRASSLEY AND HARKEN -- THEY COULDN'T GET IT CHANGED. IT'S CRAZY.
00:40:56>> I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR MORE THAN A YEAR. I'VE GONE TO ALL 99 COUNTIES,
00:41:00LOTS AND LOTS OF COMMUNITIES. I THINK THERE'S ONLY A HANDFUL OF ISSUES THAT IS UNANIMOUSLY AGREED UPON. ONE, I THINK THAT NOW REGARDLESS
00:41:04OF WHERE YOU SIT ON THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM, IOWANS ARE RECOGNIZING THAT THE HEALTHCARE
00:41:06SYSTEM IS FUNDAMENTALLY BROKEN.
00:41:10AND I HAVE YET TO FIND ANYONE TO DISAGREE WITH ME WHEN I SAY THAT
00:41:13WE NEED TO PUT GUARDRAILS ON INSURANCE COMPANIES BECAUSE DOCTORS SHOULD BE CITING CARE,
00:41:17NOT INSURANCE COMPANIES, THE SITUATION LIKE WHAT HAPPENED TO
00:41:19MY SISTER.
00:41:35I ALSO THINK THAT ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS UNANIMOUSLY AGREED UPON IS THAT WE HAVE A WATER QUALITY CRISIS THAT IS LEADING TO A CANCER CRISIS AND THAT WE
00:41:39HAVE TO HAVE INDIVIDUALS BOTH AT THE STATE LEVEL AND AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL THAT ARE WILLING TO REALLY DO THE WORK TO ADDRESS THIS IN A BIPARTISAN FASHION.
00:41:44THAT IS MY PLEDGE TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU THAT GOING UP THERE, THIS IS GOING TO BE ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE NUMBER ONE
00:41:47PRIORITIES TO ADDRESS THIS.
00:41:54THANKFULLY, MY SISTER IS DOING WELL. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THAT. YEAH, SHE UNDERWENT A DOUBLE MASTECTOMY.
00:41:57THANKFULLY, MY FATHER IS IN FULL REMISSION, BUT THIS IS A STORY THAT I'M HEARING.
00:42:01I MEAN, WHEN WE GO INTO ROOMS AND WE'RE TALKING WITH FOLKS AND
00:42:03WE'LL SAY, I MEAN, I'M IN A ROOM
00:42:08WITH, YOU KNOW, FIVE PEOPLE, 50 PEOPLE, 200 PEOPLE, HOW MANY PEOPLE HERE KNOW SOMEONE THAT IS GOING THROUGH CANCER, EITHER A FRIEND OR A FAMILY?
00:42:12EVERY HAND GOES UP.
00:42:12THAT IS AN EPIDEMIC.
00:42:28AND SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
00:42:33WE'VE GOT THE TOOLS AT OUR DISPOSAL TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THIS ON PREVENTION, ON FUNDING, AND CERTAINLY TO HAVE THE HEALTHCARE CLINICS AND THE
00:42:37FUNDING NEEDED WITH A FULLY FUNDED MEDICARE, MEDICAID, ACAS. TO MAKE SURE THAT AS MANY IOWANS AS WE POSSIBLY CAN HAVE ACCESS
00:42:39TO HEALTHCARE. RIGHT, WELL, BUT WE DO HAVE, YOU
00:42:43HAVE ALREADY SIGNED, BUT WE HAVE
00:42:50HERE. I PUT IT DOWN THIS POLITICAL THEATER?
00:42:53>> DO YOU WANT ME TO SIGN IT
00:42:58?
00:43:01DO YOU WANT ME TO SIGN IT THIS WAY, GUYS? >> YOU CAN IF IT'S MORE
00:43:05COMFORTABLE.
00:43:12>> FOR THE LEFTY.
00:43:16>> ABSOLUTELY.
00:43:21>> JUST SCRIBBLE, WE WON'T KNOW
00:43:25THE DIFFERENCE. [LAUGHTER]
00:43:27>> COOL.
00:43:31>> THERE YOU GO.
00:43:32>> THANKS FOR ALL THE HARD WORK
00:43:37THAT YOU'VE DONE SINCE YOU'VE BEEN IN THE STATEHOUSE. I CAN'T IMAGINE THE DIFFICULT
00:43:41JOB IT IS.
00:43:45MAKING DECISIONS THAT, YOU KNOW,
00:43:46THAT AFFECT ALL OF US.
00:43:50>> WELL, THANK YOU GUYS FOR
00:43:56EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING.
00:43:59WE REALLY CAN. WE CAN SOLVE THIS PROBLEM IF WE'VE GOT PEOPLE THAT ARE
00:44:03WILLING TO GO UP THERE AND DO THE WORK, AND THIS IS SOMETHING I REALLY WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO UP THERE AND DO.
00:44:06I'VE LOVED EVERY MINUTE THAT
00:44:07I'VE BEEN ABLE TO BE IN THE IOWA
00:44:20LEGISLATURE, AND I MEAN, SEEING THAT GOLDEN DOME EVERY DAY. IT REALLY INSPIRED ME EVERY MORNING OF I'M GETTING TO GO UP
00:44:23THERE AND WORK FOR THE PEOPLE OF IOWA, WORK FOR PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY, AND I'M PROUD OF THE WORK THAT I WAS ABLE TO DO, AND
00:44:27I BELIEVE THAT THE SINGLE
00:44:30GREATEST VEHICLE FOR CHANGE IS THROUGH THE UNITED STATES SENATE
00:44:33AND TO MAKE SOCIETAL CHANGE.
00:44:44AND WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT IS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITY, NOT JUST TO BE ABLE TO REPRESENT 3.2 MILLION IOWANS,
00:44:48BUT 350 MILLION AMERICANS. AND TO BE ABLE TO REALLY MOVE THE NEEDLE IN A SERIOUS WAY, BOTH ON THE CANCER CRISIS, BUT ON THE HEALTHCARE CRISIS AS A
00:44:52WHOLE. THAT IS MY PLEDGE TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. I THINK IOWANS ARE READY FOR
00:44:54THAT.
00:44:57>>
00:45:03ROB SAM WAS RECENTLY INTERVIEWED AND ASKED IF KAMALA HARRIS SHOULD CAMPAIGN FOR HIM. HE FLATLY SAID NO.
00:45:11>> WHEN IT COMES TO FEDERAL FUNDING, DO YOU THINK THERE IS
00:45:13ROOM FOR WATER QUALITY SURVEYS
00:45:17OR STUDIES TO LOOK INTO THE
00:45:20WATER CRISIS WHEN IT COMES TO
00:45:22THE CANCER CRISIS?
00:45:24>> I THINK THERE IS MORE FUNDING
00:45:27WE CAN DO TO LAST STUDIES, BUT
00:45:30IN TRUTH, WE ENDED UP PUTTING TOGETHER A PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE WATER QUALITY STUDY.
00:45:34I THINK IT IS CLEAR THAT WE NEED MORE THAN JUST STUDIES.
00:45:36WE NEED TO ADDRESS THIS IN A SERIOUS MANNER, WHICH IS MORE
00:45:41SUPPORT FOR WHAT I HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT. WE NEED TO STOP DEFUNDING HER
00:45:45WHILE THE QUALITY -- OUR WATER
00:45:50QUALITY CENTERS. AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, WE NEED
00:45:54MORE FUNDING FOR WATER QUALITY
00:45:56TREATMENT PLANTS, MORE MONEY FOR
00:46:00INFRASTRUCTURE, AND WE ALSO NEED TO ADDRESS THIS ON THE OTHER
00:46:04THINGS, WHICH IS THE PREVENTION SIDE.
00:46:08THAT IS MORE INCENTIVES TO FARMERS FOR LAND BARRIERS,
00:46:10COVERED CROPS, PUTTING OUT
00:46:14FERTILIZER. BUT THIS IS IN ALL THE ABOVE APPROACH.
00:46:19IF WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SERIOUSLY ADDRESSING THE CANCER
00:46:23CRISIS, WE NEED TO ADDRESS THE WATER QUALITY CRISIS.
00:46:26EVERY SINGLE IOWAN DESERVES
00:46:29ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER, AND EVERY SINGLE IOAN DESERVES ACCESS TO
00:46:32QUALITY HEALTH CARE, JUST LIKE QUALITY EDUCATION.
00:46:38>> YOU TALKED ABOUT FUNDING FOR
00:46:41PEDIATRIC CANCER RESEARCH HERE. I WOULD LIKE TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT.
00:46:48>> I WAS REALLY HAPPY TO SEE
00:46:52THAT BILL GET ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.
00:46:57I WORKED ON THAT EVERY SINGLE
00:46:59YEAR I WAS UP THERE IN THE LEGISLATURE.
00:47:03I THINK IT IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE CAN DO WHEN WE WORK
00:47:07TOGETHER IN A BIPARTISAN FASHION. I A LOT OF TIMES WHEN YOU DO THIS WORK BEHIND-THE-SCENES, YOU
00:47:11DON'T END UP TAKING THE CREDIT.
00:47:15THAT'S SOMETHING I'M PROUD OF, ONE OF THE MOST BIPARTISAN MEMBERS OF THE IOWA LEGISLATURE
00:47:19AND ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEMBERS.
00:47:25WHETHER IT IS MY BETTER CATHETERS FOR IOWA, BECAUSE OF
00:47:27THE WORK I ENDED UP DOING, ABOUT
00:47:2920% LESS CATHETERS THAT DON'T
00:47:32CONTAIN DHP, WHICH WAS CAUSING BLADDER CANCER.
00:47:36MY NAME WAS NOT ON THE FINAL BILL, BUT I DID A LOT OF WORK,
00:47:40AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED, PEOPLE TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS
00:47:43THE AISLE, DO THE WORK TO
00:47:46ACTUALLY PROVIDE RESULTS.
00:47:49IT IS AMAZING WHAT WE CAN GET
00:47:52DONE WHEN WE DON'T CARE WHO TAKES CREDIT. THAT IS WHAT IS MISSING IN D.C.
00:47:58>> I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT ACCESS
00:48:06TO CARE IN RURAL AREAS.
00:48:11THE STATE' BROADER HEALTH TRANSFORMATION PLANTS AND THE STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS THE INCIDENT.
00:48:15I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON WAYS TO ENSURE THAT
00:48:18THE RURAL COMMUNITIES HAVE CARE,
00:48:20WHETHER IT IS STARTING MORE
00:48:24CANCER CLINICS THROUGHOUT THE STATE, ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT?
00:48:26>> I THINK WE WANT TO ADDRESS RURAL HEALTH CARE.
00:48:30IT COMES DOWN TO FUNDING. YOU'VE GOT ONE IN FIVE IOWANS
00:48:33THAT ARE ON MEDICAID.
00:48:37YOU'VE GOT TWO IN FIVE IN RURAL COMMUNITIES.
00:48:40WHEN YOU SPEAK TO THE CEOS OF THESE WERE REAL HEALTH CARE CLINICS, HE WILL TELL YOU THAT
00:48:44MEDICAID IS THEIR LIFEBLOOD.
00:48:47I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE FUNDING WE ARE LOOKING AT WITH THE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL.
00:48:56THOUSANDS ARE LOSING FOOD ASSISTANCE.
00:48:58JUST TO GIVE TAX BREAKS TO BILLIONAIRES. IT'S FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG.
00:49:02IF WE WANT TO ADDRESS RURAL HEALTH CARE, IT'S GOT TO BE THROUGH FULLY FUNDED MEDICARE,
00:49:07MEDICAID. IT IS RIDICULOUS THAT WE ARE 40
00:49:09KNIFE FOR MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT, 49TH OR 50TH.
00:49:14THIS IS THE WAY WE ARE GOING TO ADDRESS THAT.
00:49:17MY PLEDGE IS TO EVERY SINGLE IOWAN THAT IN THE UNITED STATES
00:49:21SENATE, I WILL USE THIS POSITION TO FIGHT FOR AFFORDABLE,
00:49:24ACCESSIBLE HEALTH CARE FOR EVERY
00:49:29AMERICAN, BUT PARTICULARLY EVERY IOWAN.
00:49:32YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DECIDE WHERE YOU LIVE TO DECIDE IF YOU
00:49:35LIVE, AND WHETHER YOU LIVE IN AN
00:49:37URBAN AREA OR RURAL AREA, EVERY
00:49:39SINGLE IOWAN DESERVES ACCESS TO WORLD-CLASS HEALTH CARE IN EDUCATION.
00:49:43THAT IS WHAT I WILL BE FIGHTING FOR.