During the Senate Appropriations Labor Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing title, “Review of the FY2022 Budget Blueprint for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) questioned CDC Director Rochelle Walensky on the need to establish an Office of Rural Health within the CDC. She notes that COVID-19 has highlighted health disparities for rural Americans and asks how CDC and Congress could work together to establish this new office. Establishing an Office of Rural Health within the CDC is one of NRHA’s priority appropriations requests, so we commend Senator Hyde-Smith for her questions and comments during the hearing and publishing this statement on the need for establishing such an office.
