[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 209 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 209

 To express the sense of the Senate regarding prenatal care for women 
                             and children.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 13, 2002

Mr. Smith of New Hampshire (for himself, Mr. Helms, Mr. Hutchinson, Mr. 
   Inhofe, Mr. Santorum, Mr. Brownback, Mr. DeWine, and Mr. Ensign) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                               on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 To express the sense of the Senate regarding prenatal care for women 
                             and children.

Whereas unborn children benefit from quality prenatal health care;
Whereas the levels of infant mortality, premature delivery, and low birth weight 
        are exceedingly high in the United States as compared with other 
        developed countries;
Whereas low birth weight and premature delivery are causally associated with 
        developmental disabilities among children;
Whereas proper prenatal care can prevent avoidable birth defects;
Whereas new medical advances, together with early diagnosis, can treat children 
        with a wide range of disorders, including spina bifida, HIV/AIDS, fetal 
        distress, and anemia;
Whereas fetal surgery is now able to correct many life-threatening congenital 
        disorders;
Whereas pregnant women benefit from quality health care, including physician 
        care, hospital care, and prescription medications;
Whereas prenatal care can prevent medical and surgical complications that a 
        mother may encounter during pregnancy and delivery;
Whereas prenatal care can identify and treat a mother's preexisting medical 
        conditions, which may be impacted by pregnancy;
Whereas an estimated 10,900,000 women of child-bearing age (18 through 44) do 
        not have health insurance;
Whereas the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), created under 
        title XXI of the Social Security Act, expands health coverage to 
        uninsured children whose families earn too much for medicaid but too 
        little to afford private coverage; and
Whereas, on January 31, 2002, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tommy 
        Thompson, proposed a regulation to allow States to include coverage for 
        children from conception to age 19, which would allow low-income 
        pregnant mothers to receive prenatal and delivery care: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) commends Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tommy 
        Thompson, for moving to immediately make SCHIP resources 
        available to States to care for unborn children and pregnant 
        mothers; and
            (2) commends Secretary Thompson for recognizing pregnant 
        mothers and unborn children as deserving of concern about their 
        health and well-being.
                                 <all>