{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://murphy.house.gov/media/press-releases/murphy-co-introduces-bipartisan-legislation-strengthen-access-physicians", "Murphy Co-Introduces\u00a0Bipartisan Legislation\u00a0to Strengthen Access to Physicians in Eastern North Carolina", "2026-07-15", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "NC", "Gregory F. Murphy", "M001210", "murphy.house.gov", "murphy", "https://murphy.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D., alongside GOP Doctors Caucus Co-Chair Congressman John Joyce, M.D., and Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D., Chair of the Democratic Doctors Caucus, introduced the bipartisan Patients First Act - comprehensive Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) reform legislation.\n\nThe Patients First Act would greatly benefit Eastern North Carolina by preserving access to primary and specialty care physicians. The legislation strengthens incentives for independent practice and reverses decades of consolidation that have driven up the cost of care, especially in rural and underserved communities.\n\n\"As a practicing urologist for more than 30 years, I've seen firsthand the challenges physicians face in keeping their doors open while providing the highest quality care for their patients,\"said Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. (NC-03). \"Our current Medicare physician payment system is unsustainable. It has fueled consolidation, increased administrative burdens, and made it harder for independent physicians in rural communities to continue serving the patients who rely on them. The bipartisan Patients First Act delivers long-overdue reforms that strengthen independent practices, invest in primary care, and ensure physicians can spend more time caring for patients instead of navigating bureaucracy. When physicians succeed, patients receive better care, and that's exactly what this legislation is designed to achieve.\"\n\nBackground", 1, "2026-07-16T07:21:44Z", "2026-07-16T07:23:13Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://murphy.house.gov/media/press-releases/murphy-co-introduces-bipartisan-legislation-strengthen-access-physicians"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5628458932042122, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}