[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 96 (Wednesday, July 9, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H4921]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  REPUBLICAN BUDGET FAILS TO PROVIDE HEALTH COVERAGE FOR MOST CHILDREN

  (Mr. DOGGETT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, over 10 million American children lack 
health insurance. They lack the ordinary means to gain access to the 
health care system.
  Unfortunately, Texas leads the Nation with 46 percent of our 
children, almost one in two, lacking health insurance. These are the 
kids that do not see a doctor when they are sick, unless they get so 
sick they have to be rushed to the hospital emergency room. They are 
the children of the working parents who are struggling to make ends 
meet but get no health insurance at their job.
  Some 5 million of these kids were supposed to be covered by this 
great Republican budget bill that we have heard ballyhooed here this 
morning.
  Well, last week the Congressional Budget Office that this Republican 
crowd hired reported that they left off a zero in their great plan; 
they are only going to cover 500,000, not 5 million new kids in 
America.
  In politics they say half a loaf is better than no loaf at all, but 
for those many kids who need health care and health insurance the 
Gingrich Republicans are only providing a heel.

                          ____________________