Smith, Flood, Bacon Invite Robert Kennedy Jr. to View Nebraska's Food Production and Rural Health System

Washington, D.C.- Today, Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE-03) along with Nebraska House delegation colleagues Congressmen Mike Flood (R-NE-01) and Don Bacon (R-NE-02) sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary-Designee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to congratulate him on his expected nomination and invite him to Nebraska to witness firsthand the state's world-leading food supply chain and challenges to rural health care access.

Read the full letter here.

Full letter text below

Dear Mr. Kennedy:

Congratulations on the recent announcement that President-Elect Trump intends to nominate you to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in his second administration. As you proceed through the nomination process, it would be our pleasure to host you on a visit to Nebraska to see first-hand how HHS agencies and programs impact rural America and our nation's food supply.

Agriculture is the lifeblood of Nebraska, supporting both our rural and urban communities while meeting the demands of a growing world population. Our state, comprised of ninety-three counties and spanning nearly 67,000 square miles, produces a variety of agricultural products, including beef, pork, poultry, grains, and edible beans. Nebraskans take great pride in delivering high quality products efficiently and sustainably. Our state is a national leader for innovation in agriculture, whether in production practices, biotechnology, or equipment. This ingenuity leads to higher yields utilizing fewer resources, all while providing high quality, safe, and nutritious food for the world.

Agriculture drives rural economies, supporting valued-added manufacturing, infrastructure, and community resources. The rural communities who support our producers are also dependent on having access to quality, affordable health care. While access to care is a challenge for many across the country, rural communities must overcome small populations and remote locations which make it impossible for them to enjoy the economies of scale which benefit large urban health systems. Nebraska's 62 Critical Access Hospitals and 100+ Rural Health Clinics must be financially sound, innovative, and hardy in order to meet the health care needs of rural Nebraskans. With many rural communities confronting aging populations, changes in Medicare payment policies can often determine whether they can keep the lights on.

Nebraska leads in providing the country with high quality nutrition while supporting vibrant communities through affordable and accessible healthcare services. As you begin your nomination process, we invite you to visit Nebraska at your earliest convenience so you can see first-hand both the first-class agricultural practices we use to feed our neighbors and the world and understand the unique needs of rural health care which you would expect to encounter regularly as HHS Secretary. We cannot allow federal policy to leave rural America behind.

We look forward to welcoming you to Nebraska.

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