Congressional Record—Senate S3346
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S3346 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 20, 2007 trained clinical staff, primarily nurses, from Force—was in his fourth tour in Iraq 1953, President Eisenhower joked to re- the local delivery systems. Our system con- when he was taken from this life, at cipient Raymond G. ‘‘Jerry’’ Murphy, tinues to suffer and decline as medical pro- the age of 28. ‘‘What is it . Something in the fessionals move to hospitals in neighboring Sergeant Gould was a unique man, water out there in Pueblo? All you locales because higher Medicare Wage In- with a unique job in Iraq: he was an ex- dexes allow these regions to pay higher sala- guys turn out to be heroes.’’ ries. plosives ordnance demolition techni- President Eisenhower was not far off. Our region has been fortunate, through the cian—a marine who disarmed bombs. In There is something special in Pueblo— leadership of Senator Arlen Specter and oth- a country whose fabric is strained al- the brave sons and daughters, like ers, to have benefited from temporary Sec- most daily with bomb attacks, Ser- Blake Harris, that have answered the tion 508 funding adjustments over the past geant Gould was there to help prevent call to service for this Nation and several years. These adjustments have been a them, literally working to defuse vio- those that have given up their lives for temporary yet critical funding source for our lence that threatened his fellow ma- area hospitals. The loss of these funds will the cause of freedom. They are heroes. represent at least a $35 million financial loss rines and Iraqis alike. Unfortunately, we cannot bring back for area facilities, a loss that cannot be ab- Dustin Gould grew up in several the heroes like Blake Harris. And, like sorbed by commercial insurers and their cus- towns in Colorado and attended Ber- so many of our Nation’s soldiers that tomers. thoud High School in Longmont, which have made this ultimate sacrifice, We are therefore asking for consideration he graduated in 1997. He chose to serve Blake Harris was man of great courage of a more permanent solution to the current his Nation in the Marine Corps because and character who had his entire life calculation of Medicare Wage Index reim- of their elite status. ahead of him. bursement for facilities in the northeast and During his service to this Nation, the Blake met his wife Joanna at South north central regions of Pennsylvania. Marine Corps estimates that Staff Ser- DENISE S. CESARE, High School, and while Blake was in President and CEO. geant Gould neutralized more than a Iraq they kept in contact every day. He million pounds of explosives, explosives graduated from South High in 2002 [From the Scranton Times Tribune, Feb. 24, that could have killed untold numbers after spending 3 years in ROTC , and he 2007] of marines. Every time Dustin Gould followed in his father’s footsteps by en- RESOLVE FUNDING FOR QUALITY CARE went to work, he saved lives. That, listing in the Army. He was in his sec- Hospitals in Northeastern Pennsylvania truly, is the definition of heroism. ond tour in Iraq and was stationed in face the same economic pressures as hos- With all of this talk of military serv- Baghdad. Specialist Harris loved his pitals everywhere else—and then some. Here, ice, we should not lose sight of the job and was looking to become a career hospitals also face a vicious cycle involving man. Dustin Gould loved the outdoors Medicare funding that threatens the finan- soldier, a man who dedicated his life to and spent his spare time as a young the service of his country. cial well-being of regional hospitals and, man there with his father. He was re- therefore, access to quality health care for After the assassination of American hundreds of thousands of regional residents. spectful and thoughtful, a natural lead- civil rights pioneer the Reverend Dr. Wage rates at regional hospitals are lower er who never hesitated to lend a hand Martin Luther King, Jr., Senator Rob- than those for larger metropolitan areas, re- to a friend in need. ert Kennedy reflected upon the words sulting in lower Medicare reimbursements, GEN Douglas MacArthur once said, of the Greek poet Aeschylus: ‘‘Even in resulting in the inability of many hospitals ‘‘The soldier, above all other people, our sleep, pain which cannot forget to significantly increase wages, resulting in prays for peace, for he must suffer and falls drop by drop upon the heart, lower reimbursements . and on it goes. bear the deepest wounds and scars of The low reimbursement issue is particularly until, in our own despair, against our war.’’ Dustin’s father David said that will, comes wisdom through the awful difficult for hospitals in this region because Dustin did not relish conflict but was the relatively high average age here means grace of God.’’ that regional hospitals have a higher per- serving his Nation because a higher To his wife Joanna and their son centage of Medicare patients than do hos- calling, protecting our freedom and Jonah and Blake’s parents John and pitals in other parts of the country. Thus, way of life, compelled him to act. He Deborah, the prayers of our entire Na- they treat more Medicare patients for less did not seek praise or recognition but tion are with you, today and always. money. instead accomplished his job with hu- Each and every American is humbled Since 2004, the hospitals have done some- mility and courage and in doing so what better because of a temporary fix au- by the sacrifice made by Blake. He helped others do the same. served with honor and distinction, and thorized by Congress, under which indexes In the midst of America’s Civil War, from nearby metropolitan areas have been I hope that the pride in his service and President Abraham Lincoln wrote to applied to the regional hospitals. That meas- memories you carry with you will help the mother of a Union soldier, ‘‘I pray ure is due to expire in June and, without an ease the grief you feel at his loss. extension, 13 regional hospitals will return that our Heavenly Father may assuage to the standard reimbursement formula and the anguish of your bereavement, and f lose $35 million a year. leave you only the cherished memory According to several local hospital admin- of the loved and lost, and the solemn S. CON. RES. 20 istrators who met with Sen. Arlen Specter pride that must be yours, to have laid Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I wish to on the issue this week, they have been able to reduce nursing shortages through better so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of take a moment to explain why I felt it pay and otherwise shore up their operations Freedom.’’ We pray now for Dustin, for necessary to vote against the Gregg since Congress’ action in 2004. his wife Elizabeth, and for his whole resolution on Iraq, S. Con. Res. 20, Nationwide, about 80 hospitals are in the family. The wounds they suffer from when the Senate considered this and same position as those in Northeastern the loss of Dustin are deep and painful, other measures related to Iraq on Pennsylvania. Mr. Specter and Sen. Bob and we as a Nation honor their and March 15, 2007. Casey, along with Reps. Paul Kanjorski and Dustin’s humbling sacrifice by never The Bush administration and the Re- Chris Carney, should work with their col- forgetting this fine young man. publican leadership in Congress have leagues from the other regions with unreal- istic reimbursement rates, in order to per- SPECIALIST BLAKE HARRIS been making every effort until re- manently set fair rates that ensure access to Mr. President, I ask the Senate to cently to avoid any real debate on Iraq quality care. turn its attention to the loss of a Colo- and have, at each and every step of the f radan in Iraq, Army SPC Blake Harris, way, supported the failed stay-the- of Pueblo, CO. SPC Harris was in the course strategy by conflating Iraq with HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES Army’s 1st Squadron, 12th Cavalry the war on terrorism and by propa- STAFF SERGEANT DUSTIN GOULD Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Di- gating a false choice concerning Iraq: Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I wish vision. He was only 22 years old, and according to their logic, you either to take a moment of the Senate’s time will be laid to rest later this week. support the President or you harm the to remember a Coloradan who was lost Pueblo, CO, is known as the ‘‘Home troops. to us in Iraq last week. Marine Corps of Heroes.’’ Pueblo hosts National I firmly reject this false choice, as I SSgt Dustin Michael Gould—7th Engi- Medal of Honor Day and has had as rejected the Gregg resolution which neer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Lo- many as four living Medal of Honor re- was an attempt to validate that false gistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary cipients living in the community. In choice. VerDate Aug 31 2005 04:25 Mar 21, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00056 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A20MR6.082 S20MRPT1 hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMSENATE March 20, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3347 There is no doubt that I and every Voting for a resolution expressing going to work to keep food on the table other Member in this body will do all support for the troops is not the same and a paycheck in the mail.