Nursing Community voices “deep concern” over Rehberg’s spending proposal

Congressman’s plan will have a “formidable impact on health care”

BILLINGS, Mont—A group representing 900,000 nurses and dozens of nursing organizations is voicing “deep concern” over Congressman Dennis Rehberg’s controversial spending proposal, saying the plan could lead to a nursing shortage and hurt the quality of health care patients receive.

The 44 organizations representing the Nursing Community informed Rehberg that his spending plan cuts “funding to health professions and nursing workforce programs that are critical to sustaining an effective health care delivery system.”

Rehberg’s irresponsible cuts to key initiatives would result in fewer nursing students, practicing nurses, and nurse faculty members streaming into the workforce pipeline.

The spending plan Rehberg introduced to his congressional funding committee will make it even harder to reach the “staggering demand” for 1.2 million nurses who are needed in the workforce by 2020.

“If our system aims to provide care for an aging population and reduce rates of chronic illness burdening our economy, proper investments in nursing and healthcare programs is not an option, but rather a necessity,” wrote the Nursing Community in its letter to Rehberg urging him to abandon his unpopular proposal.

Cuts in Rehberg’s spending proposal prove that he is comfortable risking the quality of the health care Montanans’ receive in order to protect tax breaks for millionaires.

Read more about the Nursing Community’s reaction to Rehberg’s spending proposal HERE.

###