By Diane Black Chances are you've heard a lot of talk about the upcoming midterm elections. Win or lose, however, incumbents in Congress will have a responsibility to get back to work serving their constituents on Nov. 7. After the votes are tallied, four weeks will remain in the House of Representatives' legislative calendar, and we should make them count. To start, Congress must pass a responsible funding bill to keep the federal government running after current funding for most programs expires on Dec. 7 -- and we also have an opportunity to finish this session strong by passing bipartisan legislation that can save lives. As the founder of the Congressional Telehealth Caucus and a registered nurse for more than 45 years, one area that I believe remains ripe for reform is health care. Despite what you've seen on cable news, Democrats and Republicans can actually share common ground on health policy. This year, I worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the House Ways and Means Committee to write legislation combating the nationwide opioid epidemic that has been sent to the president for his signature. These bills will begin to reverse the crisis and free precious lives from the cruel grip of addiction that hits far too close to home in communities across the country -- and especially in Tennessee. And weeks ago, Congress put a bill fully funding the Department of Health and Human Services on the president's desk before the end of the fiscal year for the first time in more than two decades. As we look to the future of health care delivery in our country, we should apply the same bipartisan approach. That is why I am a proud sponsor of the Reducing Unnecessary Senior Hospitalizations (RUSH) Act of 2018. Simply put, this bill would make it easier for nursing homes to treat patients in place when facing a health challenge, instead of subjecting them to disorienting and costly trips to the emergency room -- 45 percent of which are estimated to be unnecessary. It does this using a model built on a combination of on-site first responders and a telemedicine connection to an emergency physician who can deliver real-time care from miles away. Look at the roster of congressional supporters of the RUSH Act and you'll see a smattering of conservatives and progressives alike, along with advocacy organizations like the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the Alzheimer's Association, and Health IT Now. That's because the way we apply technology to health care doesn't have to be something that divides us along party lines. No matter one's political affiliation, chances are we all have elderly loved ones and can agree that nursing home patients deserve to receive compassionate care in the familiarity of their own surroundings whenever possible. Sadly, statistics tell us that one in five patients admitted to a nursing home will wind up in a hospital within 30 days. This bill would use the technology of today to change this broken status quo, instantly bringing the capabilities of an emergency room right to the patient's bedside. There are companies who are ready and able to provide this innovative care to our nation's 1.4 million nursing home residents. I've seen them in action. These positive disruptors just need Medicare's payment policies to catch up with the technology. The RUSH Act is our chance to move Medicare into the 21st century; stemming the nursing home to hospital pipeline and giving these facilities the technology-enabled tools needed to lower health care costs and, most importantly, save lives. As the year draws to a close, it would do this nurse proud to see congressional leaders finish strong by bringing the RUSH Act to a vote. Black is a Republican from Tennessee's 6th District.

By Rep. Diane Black "I solemnly swear to do no harm." We took this oath more than 40 years ago when we became nurses. We chose this career--more accurately, this calling--because it was the ultimate realization of what was in our hearts. Our love for women and children … our desire to serve those who are sick and in need … our passion to come alongside the most vulnerable in our midst with care and compassion. The oath reflects our commitment to safeguard all life. In serving our patients, we've witnessed firsthand the beauty and dignity of life at all stages. We've watched new life enter the world, and we've comforted families as they've said goodbye to those they dearly loved. These experiences only reinforced our belief that all life is sacred and worthy of protection. There are many other doctors, nurses, and medical professionals across the country who share our commitment to never end the life of another person. And millions of patients are thankful that there are health care professionals who share their values and belief that all life--including the child in her mother's womb--should be respected and protected. Unfortunately, the government has failed both health care professionals and the patients they serve. Rather than fulfilling its legal obligation to protect conscience, it has instead sought to coerce health care professionals to violate their conscience and participate in procedures that end life. One of us has experienced this firsthand. Sandra worked for 18 years at the Winnebago County Health Department in Rockford, Ill., serving children in need. In 2015, the county's new public health administrator decided to merge the pediatric clinic with women's services and mandated that all nurses begin providing abortion-inducing drugs and abortion referrals. When Sandra informed the county of her conscientious objection to participating in any way in the provision of abortions, the county fired her. Sandra's termination had nothing to do with her performance. The new administrator admitted she was a good nurse. But the county fired Sandra anyway based solely on her religious convictions--and her commitment to the Hippocratic oath--that prevent her from taking a person's life. Sandra's termination hurt the medical profession and the individuals it exists to serve. Sandra's patients lost the nurse that had been caring for them and their families for several generations. And it cost Sandra as well. As a result of being wrongfully terminated, Sandra lost her primary source of income, her insurance, and her ability to support her family. She couldn't help her son pay for college, so he had to delay pursuing his dream of being in health care and following in his mother's footsteps. Sandra could no longer keep her promise to her daughter to pay for her grandchildren's education. Sandra's experience is not unique. In recent years, the government has discriminated against nurses and other health care professionals across the country--including in Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Tennessee--who could not participate in taking the life of another human person. That is why Congressman Black introduced the Conscience Protection Act. The Conscience Protection Act simply codifies long-standing conscience protections that prohibit a hospital or health care facility that receives federal funding from discriminating against a health care professional for their commitment to protecting life. It also ensures that nurses like Sandra will have legal recourse to pursue justice in court if the government attempts to fire or otherwise discriminate against them because of this commitment. Sandra and every American should be free to live consistent with their beliefs without fear of government punishment. This is the backbone of America--the government's respect for every person's freedom of conscience. And those in the medical field should be treated no differently. While we may not all agree on abortion, we should agree that no doctor or nurse should be forced out of the medical profession due to their beliefs about abortion. Our commitment to "do no harm" shouldn't disqualify us from serving in health care. Indeed, protecting conscience strengthens diversity and fosters a healthy society where there is respect for every health care professional and for the patients they serve Congress must act now to protect Americans' civil rights and include the Conscience Protection Act in the final Fiscal Year 2018 spending bill. One American health care professional's conscience violated is one too many.

By Diane Black Can the Republican majority govern? It's time to prove it. The voters put Republicans in charge of the House, Senate, and White House in November 2016 to reverse eight years of reckless liberal spending and poor budgeting. It's time for us to do exactly that. In July, the Budget Committee that I chair released Building a Better America, our balanced budget plan that reforms government, rebuilds the military, and paves the way for pro-growth tax reform. Our budget balances in 10 years and puts our country on track to start paying down the $20 trillion debt and ensure that we protect our children and grandchildren from that burden. It promotes economic growth through policies like tax reform, health care reform, entitlement and welfare reform, and significant spending restraint. It starts the process of rebuilding our military, after it was decimated during the Obama years. Our budget includes a $70 billion increase in spending for defense, as the threats to our national security continue to grow around the world. It's not only imperative that we prepare for growing threats, but also that we honor the dedication of our armed services by giving them the equipment and training they need to do their jobs and return safely home. Our budget reforms and improves the sustainability of programs like Medicare and Medicaid, to make sure they can continue to provide services for generations to come. And our budget begins to address mandatory spending programs, which are the largest drivers of our national debt. We require Congress to find at least $203 billion in savings in mandatory programs -- the largest mandatory savings since 1997 -- and work to change the culture of spending in Washington, so that every year the budget process requires us to look at and address these auto-pilot spending programs. Building a Better America is the most conservative budget in the last 20 years. And we need to get it across the finish line. In July, the House Budget Committee passed our budget with unanimous support from Republican members. It was a strong show of force for a budget that reflects the type of aggressive, pro-growth, reform-minded policies we as Republicans have talked about for years. And now the full House of Representatives has an opportunity to pass our budget on the House floor. There's a few reasons why it's important that we get this budget done. It is our constitutional duty to do so and it is a fulfillment of our commitment to govern responsibly and conservatively. Budgeting is governing. It is our fundamental responsibility as legislators to put forward and approve a framework that lays out our vision for how conservative policies can help grow the economy, improve the daily lives of the American people and strengthen our country's national and homeland security. Passing the 2018 budget resolution is also the key that unlocks our upcoming legislative goals. Without passing a budget, we can't do tax reform. Without passing a budget, we can't start to rebuild our military. Without passing a budget, our opportunity to address mandatory spending programs slips away. This is our opportunity to show the American people that we hear their voice, we've answered their call, and we are committed to advocating for an agenda that puts the American people first. I hope the Senate will follow our lead and put forward a conservative budget that paves the way for tax reform but also addresses the drivers of our national debt, mandatory spending. But no matter what, the House will continue in its work. We will move forward with our pro-growth agenda. We will do our job. The next step in fulfilling our promise to the American people is passing our balanced budget.