{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/merkley-schiff-underwood-lead-push-to-increase-nursing-education-and-workforce-support/", "Merkley, Schiff, Underwood Lead Push to Increase Nursing Education and Workforce Support", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", "merkley", "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "scraper", "\u201cNurses continue to find themselves on the front lines of our major public health battles, often without the full support they need,\u201d said Merkley. \u201cAs the husband of a nurse, I know the sacrifices nurses make to care for patients. We must do everything we can to support our nursing workforce, just as they support each and every one of us, and the FAAN Act is one way we can help achieve this commitment by invigorating nursing education.\u201d\n\n\u201cNurses and health care workers are heroes in our communities, and it\u2019s crucial that the federal government makes the proper investments to support this workforce,\u201d said Schiff. \u201cI am proud to join Senator Merkley and my colleagues in introducing this legislation which would help strengthen our health care system and address the nursing shortage that our country is grappling with.\u201d\n\n\u201cNurses provide critically important care that keeps our families and communities healthy. As one of just three nurses serving in Congress, I\u2019ve always been committed to advancing policies that strengthen our nursing workforce,\u201d said Underwood. \u201cBy making a critical $1 billion investment in schools of nursing, my FAAN Act would grow the nursing workforce and expand and diversify the pipeline of nurses in underserved and rural areas. I look forward to working with Senators Merkley and Schiff to pass the FAAN Act and provide the investments we need to create a stronger health care system that addresses nursing shortages and meets the needs of our families and communities.\u201d\n\n\u201cFederal support for nursing education is crucial to ensuring that our nursing workforce is prepared to meet the healthcare needs of all communities,\u201d said Dr. Jean Giddens, Board Chair for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. \u201cThe FAAN Act is a crucial step forward as we work to recruit and retain nursing students and faculty amid ongoing shortages, support our schools of nursing, facilitate academic-practice partnerships, and ensure the educational pathways remain strong as we work to serve America\u2019s patients.\u201d\n\n\u201cAACN applauds Senator Jeff Merkley and Congresswoman Lauren Underwood for reintroducing the FAAN Act, which would put forward a historic investment in nursing education, enabling today\u2019s nursing students to become tomorrow\u2019s frontline providers and faculty,\u201d said Dr. Deborah Trautman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. \u201cWe look forward to working with federal legislators to advance and pass the FAAN Act this Congress.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Future Advancement of Academic Nursing Act represents a bold and necessary investment in the future of our profession,\u201d said ANA President Dr. Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN. \u201cBy strengthening nursing education and supporting the recruitment and retention of faculty, this legislation addresses one of the root causes of today\u2019s workforce shortage. Nurses cannot meet the nation\u2019s growing demand for care without the ability to educate and prepare the next generation. The American Nurses Association is proud to support this bill and urges Congress to act swiftly to secure the nursing workforce our patients and communities depend on. We thank Representative Underwood and Senator Merkley for their work on this and for representing our nation\u2019s nurses in Congress.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) is proud to support the FAAN Act and the critical resources it would provide to schools of nursing to help increase the pipeline of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and other nurses that our nation desperately needs,\u201d said AANA President Jeffrey Molter, MSN, MBA, CRNA. \u201cWe thank Senator Merkley and Congresswoman Underwood for their leadership on this issue as we work to increase access to quality affordable healthcare that CRNAs and other nurses provide, particularly in rural and underserved communities. This legislation is an important part of making that happen.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur country\u2019s healthcare workforce is on the front line, taking care of our communities every day, but there are enormous challenges \u2013 extreme burnout, heavy patient loads, and a shortage of professionals in the pipeline who are willing to do this work, on top of the exodus of people leaving the job altogether. It\u2019s well past time to invest in building a more robust system to educate, train and prepare nurses. Senator Merkley and Rep. Underwood\u2019s bill will help to produce the next generation of nurses, particularly for communities that have been underserved, by expanding nursing education programs and hiring and training diverse professionals to join the healthcare profession. On behalf of the 250,000 nurses and healthcare professionals of the AFT, I am pleased to endorse the Future Advancement of Academic Nursing Act,\u201d said AFT President Randi Weingarten.\n\n\u201cAACN is grateful to Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative Lauren Underwood for advocating for nurses and championing legislation to address nursing shortages by re-introducing the Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act, which seeks to provide resources to increase the numbers of nursing students and faculty and modernize nursing education,\u201d said Vicki Good, DNP, RN, CENP, CPPS, FAAN, Chief Clinical Officer, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.\n\n\u201cAAHFN endorses the FAAN Act because it directly strengthens the nursing workforce, protects patient care quality, and advances the professions long-term stability,\u201d said Heidi Roschinger, DNP, American Association of Heart Failure Nurses (AAHFN) Advocacy Chair.\n\n\u201cNursing faculty are in significant shortage, so much so that about 65,000 applicants to nursing schools who were qualified to attend nursing school had to be turned away, in large part because there were not enough faculty to train them. This legislation will direct grants to go towards hiring nursing school faculty, modernizing technological and educational infrastructure, and enrolling and retaining students. The AHA thanks Senator Merkley and Rep. Underwood for their strong leadership to support nursing education,\u201d said Lisa Kidder Hrobsky, American Hospital Association\u2019s Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Political Affairs.\n\n\u201cMany emergency departments face staffing shortages, and the investment in nurses and nurse education the FAAN Act calls for would provide substantial help in addressing this crisis,\u201d said Emergency Nurses Association President Ryan Oglesby, PhD, MHA, RN, CEN, CFRN, NEA-BC. \u201cWe need a comprehensive approach to increasing the capacity for more students in nursing schools, more faculty and more clinical education sites, which are crucial to ensuring our nurses are prepared with the specialized skills they need.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN) strongly supports the reintroduction of the Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act (S.3770/H.R. 7266, 118th Congress), essential legislation that will strengthen the nursing profession and help ensure a robust, well-prepared healthcare workforce. OADN represents more than 1,100 community-based colleges offering the associate degree in nursing, serving over 40,000 students each year, with programs located across the United States, including in education deserts and rural regions where access to nursing education is especially critical. As the national voice for associate degree nursing education, OADN is a pivotal resource for community-based colleges that prepare the majority of the nation\u2019s registered nurse workforce\u2014contributing nearly half (43.5%) of all new RNs annually, as reported in the Journal of Nursing Regulation. The Future Advancement of Academic Nursing Act directly supports OADN\u2019s 2025 to 2028 Strategic Direction, which focuses on Advocacy, Education, Leadership, and Community. The bill promotes meaningful federal investment in the nursing workforce, aligns with OADN\u2019s advocacy priorities, and strengthens educational pathways that advance both students and emerging faculty. By supporting academic progression, building faculty capacity, strengthening clinical partnerships, and enhancing workforce sustainability, the FAAN Act contributes to a robust nursing ecosystem that benefits learners, educators, and the communities they serve. OADN is proud to endorse the reintroduced Future Advancement of Academic Nursing Act and urges swift consideration and passage of this legislation to help ensure a strong, well-prepared nursing workforce and improved health outcomes nationwide,\u201d said Rick Garc\u00eda, Ph.D., RN, CCM, FAAOHN, FAADN, FAAN, Chief Executive Officer, Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN), and OADN Foundation.\n\n\u201cI fully endorse the Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act. It strengthens the academic nursing infrastructure, enabling us to prepare a diverse, highly skilled nursing workforce. This legislation invests directly in the future of nursing and, ultimately, in the health of our nation,\u201d said Teri Murray, PhD, RN, Dean Emerita, Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing, Saint Louis University.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "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.merkley.senate.gov/merkley-schiff-underwood-lead-push-to-increase-nursing-education-and-workforce-support/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8335798047482967, "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"}