Washington, DC — Representative Jim Himes (CT-04), announced Mollie Melbourne, CEO of the Southwest Community Health Center in Bridgeport, as his special guest for President Donald Trump’s Joint Address to Congress. The Southwest Community Health Center provides health care services to over 29,000 patients in Fairfield County. It delivers medical, dental and behavioral health services to individuals and families in the Greater Bridgeport area.
“Here in Connecticut, we’re lucky to house a network of Community Health Centers that ensure every resident can access necessary medical care without being forced into devastating debt,” said Congressman Jim Himes. “Now, those programs are at risk as Trump and Musk continue to cudgel their way through our federal support systems at the expense of the elderly, the disabled, and the disadvantaged. Leaders like Mollie Melbourne see firsthand the casualties of this Administration’s attack on Medicaid and other federal funding, and I am proud to have her alongside me in this fight to protect Connecticut’s most vulnerable communities.”
Mollie has worked in Community Health Centers for over two decades, including at the Community Health Center Association of Connecticut and the National Association of Community Health Centers.
”Health centers are a critical component of the health care infrastructure,” said CEO Mollie Melbourne. “A federal funding freeze or cuts to Medicaid will have devastating impacts to low-income people in our community. We will be forced to make operational changes, like closing sites and eliminating services, to protect our ability to care for our patients. Those who have the least will shoulder the heaviest burden and struggle to get the primary and preventative care that keeps them healthy. Good health must not be reserved for only those with financial resources.”
Connecticut’s Community Health Centers heavily rely on federal funding in providing high quality health care to all patients, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. With 17 centers across the state, they serve roughly 440,000 patients with over 60% relying on Medicaid. Last week, Congressman Himes voted against a Republicans budget resolution that sets up $2.5 trillion in cuts to federal Medicaid funding and Children’s Health Insurance Programs, threatening coverage for 80 million Americans.
A memo issued by President Trump’s Office of Management and Budget also froze grants from the Health Resources and Services Administration, which comprise the majority of the Community Health Centers’ federal funding. This unconstitutional freeze was blocked by a federal judge but, if enacted, would be detrimental to the organizations’ ability to offer care.