The long cold Minnesota winters instilled in me a fascination for exotic far off places I aspired toward a career in tropical diseases and world health problems.
People were concerned about national security and that precluded us from having the opportunity to break through on the issues that we cared most about - the economy education and health care.
Our government has made a number of promises to the men and women who served in our nation's armed forces. Sadly these promises of health care education and other benefits have existed more in rhetoric than in reality.
The war on terrorism has made national security a legitimate concern and a rising deficit changes brought on by globalization and even the price of oil have thrown the nation's economic health into question.
We can't afford to sacrifice another generation of American children to bureaucratic politics. We've got to get it done. The future the health the life - our nation depends on it and it's just foolish to think or act otherwise.
If a State has reliable scientific information that demonstrates that a warning is needed for a particular food then in the interest of public health it should share that information with the FDA and petition for a new national standard.
We take our kids for physical vaccinations dental exams eye checkups. When do we think to take our - our son or daughter for a mental health checkup?
Today diabetes is now epidemic according to the Centers for Disease Control the National Institutes of Health the American Diabetes Association and other national healthcare leaders.
My home State of North Carolina ranks 12th in the United States for increased aging population and according to a national report 41st in overall health. According to this same report individuals aged 50+ are the least healthy.
There is just no reason why the richest nation in the world can't provide health care to all its people.
As the GAO report recognizes the long-term health of our forests relies on additional fuel reduction options and funding to reduce the risks that catastrophic fire poses to our nation's ecosystems communities and federal budgetary resources.
The time to read is any time: no apparatus no appointment of time and place is necessary. It is the only art which can be practiced at any hour of the day or night whenever the time and inclination comes that is your time for reading in joy or sorrow health or illness.
Coal is absolutely critical to our nation's economic health and global competitiveness.
I want to thank the efforts of the American Public Health Association and its 200-plus partners who have organized events around the Nation that serve to raise everyone's awareness of the need to improve public health.
As grateful as we are for all the work the community health centers do it is also important that we recognize that they cannot solve the health care crisis facing our Nation by themselves.
In this most powerful nation in the world lack of access to health care should not force local and state governments companies and workers into bankruptcy while causing unnecessary illness and hospitalization.
My top three priorities for my first term in Congress are growing our economy providing for quality affordable health care and keeping our nation and communities safe.