WASHINGTON, March 3 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), released the following statement on the minibus agreement announced Sunday by Congressional leadership:

Over the past year, one of my top legislative priorities as Chairman of the Senate HELP Committee has been to address the primary care crisis in America and the massive shortage of doctors, nurses, dentists, and mental health professionals in our nation.

In the richest country in the history of the world, it is my view that every man, woman, and child in America should be able to receive the primary care they need in their own community. I am sad to say that we were not able to convince Republicans in Congress to pass legislation to achieve that goal. But given the dysfunctional political environment in Congress, I am proud that we were able to reach a deal to provide meaningful increases in funding for primary care in America.

Under this agreement, community health centers will be receiving the largest increase in mandatory funding in a decade, equivalent to a rate of $4.4 billion through the end of the year. Community health centers are the backbone of our primary care system providing high quality care to over 31 million Americans.

Under this agreement, the National Health Service Corps will be receiving a 17 percent increase in funding equivalent to a rate of $364 million through the end of the year. This important program provides loan forgiveness and scholarships to doctors, dentists, nurse practitioners, and other medical professionals who practice in rural and underserved areas.

Under this agreement, the Teaching Health Center program will receive a 59 percent increase in funding equivalent to an annual rate of $201 million through the end of the year. Teaching Health Centers are extraordinarily important because they allow medical school graduates to do their residencies in community health centers, and if we want more doctors to practice in rural and underserved areas this is an important way to do it.

Let’s be clear: This funding deal is not the end of the discussion. It is just the beginning. As the Chairman of the HELP Committee, I will not rest until everyone in America is entitled to health care as a fundamental human right, not a privilege.