By Eric Stock
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon, said a measure that has passed the House will help address the shortage of emergency medical technicians.
Kinzinger sponsored the Veterans EMT Support Act which creates a transition program for military medics that would help them meet state EMT requirements.
PODCAST: Listen to Scott’s interview with Kinzinger on WJBC.
“If you are coming out of the military and you were trained in battlefield medicine you ought to just be able to get your EMT certification instead of having to retest and recertify like a lot of states do,” Kinzinger said.
He told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin has experience in the Illinois Air National Guard showed him that it should be easier for medical professionals to get certified.
The measure is currently in a Senate committee.
Opioids
Kinzinger has been appointed by House Speaker Paul Ryan to serve on a bipartisan committee that will help finalize a measure to help combat the nation’s opioid epidemic. Kinzinger said he would like to a see a national registry established that would prevent doctor shopping.
“They are going to different pharmacies they have these pharmacies figure out ‘Did this guy just get a prescription for Oxycodone filled yesterday somewhere else,’ ” Kinzinger said.
Trump
Kinzinger has been one of his party’s toughest critics of Donald Trump. Now that Trump is the Republican’s presumed nominee, Kinzinger said he gets some pressure over his lack of support – but not from the party leaders.
“Where I get the pressure is from my Republican base,” Kinzinger said. “There are good people that vote for me that like me and like Donald Trump. They are obviously not happy that I can’t get there yet.”
Kinzinger said his biggest problem with Trump has been violent rhetoric, particularly when it comes to foreign affairs.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
