{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.gallego.senate.gov/news/press-releases/gallego-kelly-ciscomani-ansari-stanton-urge-hhs-administrator-to-ensure-arizona-receives-full-funding-through-the-rural-health-transformation-program/", "Gallego, Kelly, Ciscomani, Ansari, Stanton Urge HHS Administrator to Ensure Arizona Receives Full Funding Through the Rural Health Transformation Program", "2025-11-17", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "AZ", "Ruben Gallego", "G000574", "www.gallego.senate.gov", "gallego", "https://www.gallego.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Arizona Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly, along with Representatives Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06), Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ-03), and Greg Stanton (D-AZ-04) urged Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz to make sure Arizona receives its fair share of funding under the new Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to address long-standing health care challenges in rural communities across the state.\n\nArizona is one of the most rural states in the country, with a population density averaging eight people per square mile. Seven of Arizona\u2019s fifteen counties are classified as 100 percent rural, and every county contains census tracts that meet the federal definition of rural. The lawmakers stressed that these factors\u2014combined with the state\u2019s size, mountainous terrain, and remote Tribal lands\u2014create significant barriers to accessing health care and other basic services.\n\nIn their letter, the lawmakers highlighted the unique challenges facing rural and Tribal communities and called for at least $200 million per year over five years to support Arizona\u2019s participation in the program: \u201cArizona is vast and contains mountainous regions, forests, and sweeping deserts. The rugged terrain can make it difficult for some Arizonans to travel even short distances for healthcare. Roughly 27 percent of the state\u2019s land area is Tribal land; Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized Tribes. Many of the Tribal lands are remote. For example, the Havasupai Tribe\u2019s land is located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.\u201d\n\nThey noted that economic and social factors compound these barriers, making healthcare access even more difficult for rural Arizonans: \u201cOur rural populations face many challenges, including access to healthcare\u2014but also access to affordable childcare, housing, and career and educational opportunities. Their incomes are lower, and they have higher rates of unemployment. These issues compound their healthcare challenges.\u201d\n\nThe lawmakers underscored that Arizona\u2019s needs are not accurately reflected in national rankings and urged HHS to provide equitable funding that meets the state\u2019s realities: \u201cThe healthcare needs of our rural communities are great, and it is critically important to us that Arizona gets its fair share of Rural Health Transformation Program dollars. An assessment conducted by the University of North Carolina resulted in a finding that Arizona ranked number 36 among the 50 states when ranked according to the criteria in the RHTP Notice of Funding Opportunity. This is not reflective of Arizona\u2019s landscape and reality. Given the vast area, significant needs of the State, and rurality of so many Arizonans, Arizona should receive much more than $200 million per year to adequately address these needs.\u201d\n\nRead the full letter HERE.\n\n11/17/25", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"]], "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://www.gallego.senate.gov/news/press-releases/gallego-kelly-ciscomani-ansari-stanton-urge-hhs-administrator-to-ensure-arizona-receives-full-funding-through-the-rural-health-transformation-program/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9172579739242792, "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"}