PROTECTING THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY AND MOST VULNERABLE
These are challenging and uncertain times, and ensuring the health and safety of our most vulnerable must be our first priority. Lee continues to go to bat for Long Island throughout this crisis, prioritizing our health and safety needs first and foremost. As a member of the bipartisan Congressional Coronavirus Task Force and White House Opening Up America Again Congressional Group, Lee has worked to ensure Long Island has had a seat at every table in Washington, D.C. during this crisis. Working with partners at all levels of government in a non-partisan fashion, Lee was instrumental in helping to secure:
-
Over 1.2 million items of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Suffolk county front line workers
-
Thousands of critical ventilators for New York from the national stockpile
-
Expanded access to diagnostic testing, antibody testing, and treatments
When the Suffolk County Executive’s office reached out to Congressman Zeldin one Saturday evening to notify him that the county stockpile of surgical masks, regular sized n95 masks, gowns, face shields and more was empty, Lee jumped to action immediately, connected with the White House and others that night and instantly secured over a half million items of PPE that were delivered within 48 hours.
Lee has continued to stand up to protect health care access and coverage for pre-existing conditions. When health care was threatened, Lee stepped in and helped save coverage for cancer patients at North Shore Hematology Oncology and fought to protect health insurance for those with pre-existing conditions.
Lee championed the Mental Health and Safe Communities Act to provide grant funding for community based mental health programs and related law enforcement programs to better serve our community. This bill was signed into law as part of legislation to support mental health reform at the local, state and federal level.
He supported the Championing Healthy Kids Act which renewed important funding for Community Health Centers, essential providers of healthcare for families on Long Island and nationwide.
Lee has fought to keep our promise to Long Island’s seniors and is committed to protecting and strengthening Social Security and Medicare. He helped secure passage of the Securing Senior’s Health Care Act, which prevents the termination of certain Medicare Advantage plans. He vigorously opposed efforts to alter the Medicare Part B Drug Program, which would have increased costs and limited seniors’ access to necessary medication.
He was a leader in the bipartisan coalition that renewed the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) so children and families on Long Island and nationwide can have access to quality care. Lee also cosponsored the Childhood Cancer STAR Act, which was signed into law, to improve childhood cancer treatments and to expand access to best practices for care.
Lee will continue to work to protect health care access, ensure coverage for pre-existing conditions, and oppose every effort to force a socialist-style takeover of our healthcare system that will kick millions off of their health insurance plans and leave them and generations to come with a $32 trillion tax bill to pay for it.
Americans pay too much for prescription drugs, which is why Lee supports legislation to lower the cost of prescription drug prices, by decreasing out-of-pocket expenses and encouraging innovation. The Lower Costs, More Cures Act would fast track FDA authorities to approve generic drugs faster and provide cheaper options for prescription drugs Long Islanders depend upon.