LEGISLATORS IN THE NEWS
An Interview with Representative Troy A. Carter, Sr. Lisa Moreno, MD MS MSCR FAAEM FIFEM — President, American Academy of Emergency Medicine
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elcome to the next installment of Common Sense’s Legislators in the News column. This column is designed to help you get to know your legislators, understand the legislative process and how you can influence it, and strengthen the Academy’s relationship with our lawmakers for the purpose of improving the working conditions of physicians and the health care of the nation. In this issue, we interview Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA). Rep. Carter is serving in his first term as the Congressman from Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District and currently serves on two House Committees, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Small Business Committee. His brief bio follows this article. Dr. Moreno: You have a long history of serving New Orleans as a city councilman, Louisiana State Representative, and Louisiana State Senator. What factors prompted you to make the move to the federal government? Rep. Carter: It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve my community on essentially every level of government. From each experience I’ve learned so much and gained a better understanding of what public service is. Public service is so many things. It’s making sure the garbage gets picked up. It’s fighting to get healthcare to cover more essential medical procedures. Public service is listening to the people, and being in the community, then taking action on their behalf. After all of this public service at the local and state level, I wanted to be of service in a new way. After decades of debating how to spend federal dollars, I was ready to be the one fighting to bring those dollars into Louisiana and the 2nd District. Dr. Moreno: What do you consider the most important health related issues that Congress will address this year?
Rep. Carter: The top issues for me are recovering from COVID19, combating racial health disparities, prescription drug affordability, and expanding eligibility for Medicare. Dr. Moreno: You have a strong record of opposition to expanding gun rights. This is a major issue for AAEM. We are one of the founding organizations of the American Foundation for Firearm Injury Reduction in Medicine. The immediate past president, Dr. David Farcy, and I recently published our research on how Emergency Physicians can improve our role in the prevention of firearm injury.1 As a native New Yorker living in NOLA, and as an EP in these cities, I am acutely aware of the devastating toll of firearm injury and the disproportionate burden borne by young males of color. Please share with me how you came to have such a strong position on the expansion of gun rights and tell me what you believe physicians can do to support your position in Congress. Rep. Carter: Communities of color in my district are hit hardest by gun violence, and it’s clear something has to change. As a policymaker, as a neighbor of yours in New Orleans, and as a Black father of two Black sons, we are in full agreement on that. I am open to discussing strategies to comprehensively address this scourge of violence, and I think a wide coalition could help make this discussion more effective. If this nation is going to see less gun violence we have to change policy and we have to change culture – they go hand in hand. As a group trusted by way more people than Congress is, I think emergency physicians can be an incredible voice to policymakers and to members of the community. As physicians, you have seen the damage guns can cause and tried to repair it within people’s bodies. That must be devastating. It’s time for everyone to step up and join you in repairing the damage they cause within our communities. I look forward to being a partner in this effort.
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“Congress should explore how to make it easier for physicians to open and run
their own businesses, and support your efforts to make healthcare more affordable, accessible, and culturally competent.” 8
COMMON SENSE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
