Valerie Foushee, 68, a retired Chapel Hill police department administrator, was elected to U.S. Congress in 2023 after serving for 10 years in the state legislature — first in the state House of Representatives and then in the state Senate. She served eight years on the Orange County Board of Commissioners, and seven years on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education. She lives in Chapel Hill.
Our Q&A with Valerie Foushee
The following responses were provided by Valerie Foushee.
What would be your plan for ensuring the future security/ strength of Medicare?
Healthcare is a human right, but far too many people in our country are victims of a broken healthcare system and are unable to afford necessary care. At the state level, I fought to expand Medicare in North Carolina, efforts that I’ve continued at the federal level as an original cosponsor of the Medicare For All Act. Ensuring equitable healthcare and public health throughout our country doesn’t stop with accessibility. We must also continue to address minority health disparities, disparities in mental health treatment, and the social determinants of health that affect our most vulnerable communities.
What would you support in Congress as a plan to help control health care/ pharmaceutical costs?
I support the Inflation Reduction Act as it provides financial relief for millions of Americans with Medicare by expanding benefits, lowering drug costs, and strengthening Medicare for the future. I am also an original cosponsor of the Medicare for All Act.
Where do you stand on Medicaid work requirements and time limits?
I do not support Medicaid work requirements and time limits. I believe healthcare is a human right and all Americans deserve accessible, equitable, and robust healthcare.
What can the federal government do to support rural hospitals?
First and foremost, the federal government must assist in keeping more rural hospitals open so they can provide critical services in their community. We must ensure funding is available to rural hospitals and Medicare-certified rural health clinics. We must also continue to close the Medicaid Coverage gap by working with the 10 state legislatures that have not yet expanded.
Where do you stand on restoring funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program?
I believe the Affordable Connectivity Program is critical as 23 million households relied on the program to access affordable internet service. I am a cosponsor of the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act of 2024 and will vote to restore funding whenever the package is brought to the floor.
PFAS contamination is a country-wide issue. How do you balance public safety and business interests with this issue?
In Congress I am a member of the Congressional PFAS Task Force and the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition and I have been working with my colleagues to safeguard environmental protections and keep pressing environmental issues at the forefront. I believe that public safety should always be at the forefront which is why I’ve sponsored numerous bills that would monitor PFAS in drinking water, clean up coal ash, incentivize clean and renewable energy, and move North Carolina towards a more environmentally friendly future.
Is the federal government ready for the next pandemic?
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress passed the Prepare for and Respond to Existing Viruses, Emerging New Threats Pandemic Act that established a permanent White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and addresses other issues related to general public health, medical supply chains, biomedical innovation, and research security.
In 2009, Congress required more transparency from hospitals on their charitable work. Do you think the federal government should enforce stricter requirements for nonprofit hospitals to justify their tax exemptions? Why or why not?
Our hospitals serve as a vital resource to our communities and play an important role in keeping us safe and healthy. I believe the current requirements in place for a hospital to achieve tax exempt status, such as operating an emergency room open to all regardless of ability to pay, are important necessities in achieving a hospitals charitable purpose and therefore tax exempt status. I believe the requirements we currently have in place are sufficient.
Where do you stand on federal abortion limits? What gestational limits, if any, would you set?
We need to codify Roe v. Wade into law to protect abortion access at the federal level. I believe there should not be limits on abortion prior to the point of fetal viability.
How can Congress improve access to child care? What states are leading the way with what you think could be a good federal model? What are your thoughts about the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit?
Child care is critical infrastructure for families and the economy. I am proud that in the 2024 Appropriations bill, we were able to give child care a $1 billion dollar increase in funding. I have introduced the Expanding Child Care Access Act of 2024 to help address the child care shortage nationwide. I support a permanent expansion of the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit.