[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 28 (Thursday, March 6, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H771]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           UNINSURED CHILDREN

  (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, over 175 Democratic Members have signed a 
letter to the Republican leadership urging a date certain for floor 
consideration of legislation that provides health insurance coverage 
for the 10 million American kids that do not have it. So far the 
Republican leadership refuses to address the issue of kids health 
insurance. Last week many of my Democratic colleagues discussed a 
recent New York City survey that pointed to the growing numbers of 
children without health insurance.
  Today the GOP is supposed to unveil its long-overdue legislative 
agenda for the 105th Congress. A present view of that agenda published 
in today's newspapers does not mention kids health insurance. Nor did 
the Republicans include the issue when they talked about a bipartisan 
agenda with President Clinton a few weeks ago.
  I want to assure my colleagues, though, that this issue will not go 
away because the Democrats will not allow it to. It is a disgrace that 
10 million American children, most of whose parents work very hard, do 
not have health care coverage.

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