Dear Friend,
August is one of my favorite times of year and this past month was no exception. As your United States senator, August means coming home. It means seeing the great things that are happening in our state, and listening to New Mexicans as we talk about our challenges moving forward.
One of our biggest challenges is health care. New Mexicans packed my numerous town hall meetings to talk about what reform will mean for them. Many asked how we're going to pay for it. While the details are currently being worked out, rest assured I will only support legislation that reins in costs and doesn't add to our deficit. Some worried reform would alter their current coverage. It won't. If you like your current plan, you can keep it. This reform is about protecting the 25 percent of New Mexicans who are currently uninsured and protecting small businesses.
The stories I've heard haven't just been about dollars and cents. They've also been about loss and worry. In Raton, I met a woman whose premium just rose 24 percent — an increase she can't afford. I received a letter from a Peña Blanca man whose wife couldn't get a colonoscopy because insurance wouldn't cover it. Now she's dying of colon cancer. It was a Clayton nurse who best summed up our challenge: "Our system is broken. Our people need help."
I will take with me to Washington the faces and voices and opinions of these New Mexicans. Every American deserves access to health care — and I will ensure New Mexicans' concerns are heard as we work to achieve that goal.
August is one of my favorite times of year and this past month was no exception. As your United States senator, August means coming home. It means seeing the great things that are happening in our state, and listening to New Mexicans as we talk about our challenges moving forward.
One of our biggest challenges is health care. New Mexicans packed my numerous town hall meetings to talk about what reform will mean for them. Many asked how we're going to pay for it. While the details are currently being worked out, rest assured I will only support legislation that reins in costs and doesn't add to our deficit. Some worried reform would alter their current coverage. It won't. If you like your current plan, you can keep it. This reform is about protecting the 25 percent of New Mexicans who are currently uninsured and protecting small businesses.The stories I've heard haven't just been about dollars and cents. They've also been about loss and worry. In Raton, I met a woman whose premium just rose 24 percent — an increase she can't afford. I received a letter from a Peña Blanca man whose wife couldn't get a colonoscopy because insurance wouldn't cover it. Now she's dying of colon cancer. It was a Clayton nurse who best summed up our challenge: "Our system is broken. Our people need help."
I will take with me to Washington the faces and voices and opinions of these New Mexicans. Every American deserves access to health care — and I will ensure New Mexicans' concerns are heard as we work to achieve that goal.
Cheers!
Tom
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