WHEREAS, The Community Health Centers are an indispensable part of Rhode Island's health care infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, Four federally supported Health Centers in Providence, Wood River, Woonsocket, and Blackstone Valley receive approximately $5 million dollars from the United States Public Health Service annually; and

WHEREAS, The state of Rhode Island's ability to care for medically indigent people is dependent on that $5 million; and

WHEREAS, The four health centers in question serve 63% of Rhode Island's statewide health center patients, and deliver 900 babies a year; and

WHEREAS, The four health centers in question provide employment for 475 people; and

WHEREAS, The budget deadlock in Washington that has resulted in Public Health Service funds being withheld and held up has led to 5% cuts in the grants already approved for the Providence, Wood River, Thundermist, and Blackstone Valley health centers; and

WHEREAS, These reduced appropriations are only guaranteed for four months; and

WHEREAS, The grants approved for these four health centers have not been increased from fiscal year 1995, leading to cuts in real dollars of 4% when inflation is taken into account, for a total cut of 9%; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this senate of the state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations calls on Congress to immediately restore the Public Health Service funds which have been committed to the Community Health Centers; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the secretary of state be and he hereby is authorized and directed to transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Rhode Island delegation to the Congress of the United States.