The seeds of my drive to fight for my family and our veterans were first planted on my childhood family farm in rural Washington. You learn a lot about life on a farm – about hard work, caring for others and rolling your sleeves up to get stuff done. That mindset helped me to become the first in my family to graduate college and fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming a triage nurse. The truth is, I just wanted to live my version of the American dream.
In April 2005, that dream was shattered overnight when my husband, Scotty, was left blind by a suicide bomber in Iraq. I booked a one-way flight to Walter Reed Medical Center to care for him. It didn't take long for me to realize that it was up to me to advocate for my husband's healthcare. I saw firsthand how our government’s healthcare system wasn’t truly working or living up to its standards. As a result, I became a voice for our military members and veterans who weren’t getting the care and services they deserved.
One day, I was a young nurse in Washington state; the next, I was fighting for our veterans in Washington, D.C. Looking back, I see how important it is to have everyday Americans, not career Washington insiders, fighting for the values and ideals they believe in. That’s why it is so important for President Trump to appoint pioneers like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz to help make America healthy again
As we look ahead to 2025 and President Trump’s second term in office, Robert Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Oz are two of the most important and consequential picks of President Trump’s transition. Dr. Oz, a long-time cardiothoracic surgeon at Columbia University, and Kennedy Jr., who had a promising career in environmental science, were living their versions of the American dream before taking an important step to stand up for their beliefs and our country. People from different backgrounds and walks of life came together with the Trump administration to help our country. That’s America.
America is at a crossroads of public health and President Trump has proven that public health is a top priority of his going into his second term. In 2019, the Trump administration set a course to address and provide funding to fight chronic disease and expand opportunities for Americans to seek every opportunity possible to cure their illnesses. The year prior, he signed the “right to try” legislation that would allow terminal patients to seek experimental treatments. With the nomination of RFK Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Dr. Oz as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, President Trump has pledged to establish a panel of top healthcare experts working with Kennedy to investigate what is causing the decades-long increase in chronic health problems and childhood diseases. That’s something every American can get behind.
America’s healthcare system is facing an uncanny paradox: despite having the most advanced technology and trained healthcare professionals in the world, our nation continues to lead the world in obesity rates, mental and behavioral health challenges, and chronic illnesses. The mass-produced, chemically-engineered food our families consume contains chemicals that are banned in every other country. Fifty percent of Americans suffer at least one chronic health condition, including diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. What’s worse, more than forty percent of school-aged children suffer from at least one chronic illness. As a mother and nurse, these statistics keep me up at night.
The 2024 election was a mandate; the American people were loud and clear that they support President Trump’s agenda for our country and support picks that can push past the red tape, senseless noise and obstacles, and simply work for the American people. For decades, both Robert Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Oz have made helping people a cornerstone of their lives, and I’m thrilled that they will have the opportunity to continue that work in the U.S. government.
Everyday people coming together is a cornerstone of the United States and President Trump’s focus on helping people fight and succeed will serve our country's healthcare system well.