PENNINGTON GAP – Virginia U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine used a Southwest Virginia hospital Thursday to highlight concerns about the Trump administration’s impact on health care and food assistance in the region.
kAmz2:?6 DA6?E 52J E9C66 @7 2 7@FC\52J E@FC 24C@DD E96 DE2E6 E@ 86E AF3=:4 :?AFE @? :>A24ED 7C@> E96 25>:?:DEC2E:@?’D “3:8 362FE:7F=†3F586E C64@?4:=:2E:@? 3:== E92E A2DD65 r@?8C6DD 367@C6 E96 &]$] w@FD6’D yF=J c C646DD]k^Am
kAmp7E6C E@FC:?8 {66 r@F?EJ r@>>F?:EJ w@DA:E2= H:E9 q2==25 w62=E9 25>:?:DEC2E@CD 2?5 DE277[ z2:?6 C642==65 9@H q2==25 925 366? 23=6 E@ C6@A6? {rrw ;FDE @G6C 7@FC J62CD 28@ E92?<D E@ 7656C2= AC@G:D:@?D DFAA@CE:?8 CFC2= 4C:E:42= 2446DD 42C6 724:=:E:6D E9C@F89 :>AC@G65 |65:42C6^|65:42:5 DFAA@CE]k^Am
kAm%96 C64@?4:=:2E:@? 3:== :?4=F56D 4FED E@ G2C:@FD |65:42C6^|65:42:5 36?67:ED[ z2:?6 D2:5 27E6C E96 E@FC[ 2?5 >2J 27764E 9@DA:E2=D’ 23:=:EJ E@ 7:=6 7@C A2J>6?ED F?56C E96 AC@8C2>D]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 96 5:5 ?@E 92G6 52E2 @? DA64:7:4 $@FE9H6DE ':C8:?:2 4@F?E:6D[ z2:?6 D2:5 2C62D :?4=F5:?8 $4@EE[ {66 2?5 (:D6 4@F?E:6D 92G6 9:896C AC@A@CE:@?D @7 D6?:@CD :? E96:C A@AF=2E:@?D E92E @E96C A2CED @7 ':C8:?:2]k^Am
kAm“p?J 4FED E@ E96 |65:42:5 AC@8C2> 92G6 2 5:DAC@A@CE:@?2E6 67764E 96C6[†D2:5 z2:?6] “x FDF2==J 962C 4@?46C?D 23@FE |65:42:5 4FED 2?5 =6DD 23@FE E96 |65:42C6 AC@8C2>[ 3FE x’G6 962C5 D@>6 D:8?:7:42?E 4@?46C?D 23@FE E96 H2J |65:42C6[ 6DA64:2==J |65:42C6 p5G2?E286 :D 36:?8 25>:?:DE6C65 :? 2 H2J E92E >2<6D :E E@F89 7@C D@>6 9@DA:E2=D =:<6 q2==25 E@ AC@G:56 D6CG:46]â€k^Am
kAm$@>6 $6?2E6 #6AF3=:42?D 92G6 6IAC6DD65 D64@?5 E9@F89ED @? E96 3:==’D =6G6= @7 962=E9 42C6 4FED[ z2:?6 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“%96C6’D 2? @A6??6DD[ x E9:?<[ E@ 5:D4FDD:?8 42? H6 86E E9:D C:89E[ :D E96C6 2 36EE6C 32=2?46[†D2:5 z2:?6] “(6 2C6 H@C<:?8 @? E96 2AAC@AC:2E:@?D 3:== ?@H 2?5 x E9:?< E96C6’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ :? E92E 5:D4FDD:@? :? $6AE6>36C E92E >:89E H6 8@ 324< @? D@>6 @7 E96 4FED[ D@7E6? E96 3=@H 2?5 7:8FC6 @FE H2JD E92E 3@E9 A2E:6?ED 2?5 AC@G:56CD 2C6?’E 27764E65 D@ D:8?:7:42?E=J]â€k^Am
kAmv6EE:?8 2? 2AAC@AC:2E:@?D 3:== E@86E96C :? E96 $6?2E6 DE:== C6BF:C6D e_ G@E6D[ 2?5 E96 $6?2E6 92D 2 db\cf #6AF3=:42? >2;@C:EJ @G6C s6>@4C2ED] z2:?6 D2:5 E92E >62?D E96C6 H:== 92G6 E@ 36 5:D4FDD:@? 2?5 4@>AC@>:D6 @? 3@E9 D:56D]k^Am
kAm%96 C64@?4:=:2E:@? 3:== DE:== C2:D6D 7F?52>6?E2= =682= :DDF6D @G6C E96 25>:?:DEC2E:@?’D 4=2:>D :E 42? AF== 324< G2C:@FD 7F?5:?8 2=C625J A2DD65 3J r@?8C6DD 2?5 D:8?65 :?E@ =2H[ z2:?6 D2:5]k^Am
kAmpAA2=249:2? $FDE2:?23=6 s6G6=@A>6?E 2??@F?465 yF=J b` E92E :E 92D =@DE 2 S`e >:==:@? &$sp 72C>6C E649?:42= 2DD:DE2?46 8C2?E 2==@42E:@? 2?5 H:== D66 2?@E96C &$sp p8C:4F=EFC2= |2C<6E:?8 $6CG:46D 8C2?E 7@C S`]d >:==:@? C6:>3FCD:?8 7@@5 AFC492D6D 7@C p$s’D sF77:6=5 u@@5 wF3 6?5 :? a_ae]k^Am
kAm“%96J D9@F=5?’E 92G6 =@DE E96 8C2?ED “ z2:?6 D2:5[ 255:?8 E92E 96 H2D “EC@F3=65 E92E E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 925 4=2H65 324< 4@?8C6DD:@?2==J 2AAC@AC:2E65 7F?5D 7@C E96 p$s AC@8C2>]k^Am
kAm“%9:D H2D 2 8C2?E E92E H2D 2=C625J 8:G6?[†D2:5 z2:?6] “&?56C H92E =682= 2FE9@C:EJ 42? :E 36 4=2H65 324<n r=2H:?8 324< 6I:DE:?8 8C2?ED[ 6DA64:2==J D276EJ ?6E AC@8C2>D =:<6 7@@5 2DD:DE2?46[ x’> G6CJ EC@F3=65 3J E92E]â€k^Am
kAm$@FE9H6DE ':C8:?:2 :D ?@E E96 @?=J C68:@? D66:?8 &$sp 8C2?E C6EC24E:@?D[ z2:?6 D2:5[ H:E9 C6AC6D6?E2E:G6D @7 2== D6G6? C68:@?2= 7@@5 32?<D :? ':C8:?:2 D66:?8 D:>:=2C H:E99@=5:?8 @7 8C2?ED 7@C 7665:?8 AC@8C2>D @C 5:C64E 7@@5 AFC492D6D]k^Am
kAmz2:?6 H2D D=2E65 E@ G:D:E 2 724E@CJ :? q=2?5 =2E6C :? E96 52J E92E 92D 36?67:EE65 7C@> E96 q:56? 6C2 x?7=2E:@? #65F4E:@? p4E E2I 4C65:ED 7@C 6?6C8J >2?F724EFC:?8 :?G6DE>6?ED] uC:52J H:== D66 E96 D6?2E@C G:D:E:?8 #:49>@?5 E@ 5:D4FDD 277@C523=6 49:=5 42C6 2446DD]k^Am