[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 123 (Tuesday, September 16, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H7285]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IN THE NAME OF OUR CHILDREN'S HEALTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 21, 1997, the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. McGovern] is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I have taken to this well many times 
before to speak about the steps that my home State of Massachusetts has 
taken to guarantee that no child goes without proper health care. This 
is not a recent phenomenon. Massachusetts has long been a national 
leader on the issue of children's health.
  Some 70 years ago, President Calvin Coolidge, a Massachusetts native, 
declared the first Monday in October as National Child Health Day. 
While an issue as important as children's health certainly merits our 
Nation's full attention, past generations have unfortunately let this 
day fall from our national calendar. With the help of my Republican 
colleague, the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Porter], and through the 
hard work of the American Health Foundation, I am proud to declare that 
Child Health Day is once again getting the attention that it deserves.
  Mr. Speaker, no single issue has the potential to impact the future 
of the United States more than the health of our kids. This issue goes 
to the heart of our ability to compete globally and will profoundly 
impact America's ability to lead the world in the 21st century. As 
President Coolidge stated in his proclamation back in 1928:
       The protection and development of the health of the 
     children of today are fundamental necessities to the future 
     progress and welfare of the Nation.

  We know that children without adequate health care will cost our 
Nation dearly if we fail to act now. These children, many of whom come 
from hard-working families, often fail to excel in schools for reasons 
that are wholly preventable. No child in America should suffer 
academically because they cannot afford proper eyeglasses. No child in 
America should suffer permanent hearing loss because they cannot afford 
to have an ear infection treated. As a Nation that seeks to compete in 
an increasingly global economy, we simply cannot afford to have 
preventable illnesses keep our young people from reaching their fullest 
potential.
  There is a rather simple solution to the challenge of keeping kids 
healthy, and that is preventative care. A dollar spent on immunizations 
saves $10 later in a child's life, yet some 25 percent of our Nation's 
2-year-olds go without immunizations. Every year 400,000 children go 
without the medicines their doctors have prescribed because they are 
uninsured or their parents simply cannot afford to pay for these 
prescriptions. This simply must change.
  But even children with adequate health care coverage should become 
active participants in Child Health Day. Too many of our Nation's youth 
suffer from poor nutrition, bad oral hygiene or failure to exercise. 
And thousands of young people each year become victims of substance 
abuse, including drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. These are health risks 
that cross all socioeconomic lines and habits that will only worsen in 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, we can act decisively on each of these important health 
issues. Back home in Massachusetts I have taken several steps to bring 
the full weight of volunteers, community leaders, nonprofit groups and 
State and local government officials to bear on many of the negative 
trends I have mentioned. On October 6, National Child Health Day, 
Massachusetts will proudly unveil the first and only State report card 
on children's health, quantifying our Commonwealth's strengths and 
weaknesses. I am also inviting hundreds of people throughout 
Massachusetts to attend a forum on November 1 which will seek to find 
long-term solutions to the challenges that we identify.
  On Thursday of this week, the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Porter] 
and I will hold a bipartisan luncheon here in the Capitol to build 
support for National Child Health Day next month. I encourage all 
Members who would like to hold Child Health Day events in their 
districts to attend. Together we can reach across political, social, 
and cultural boundaries to help prepare our children for healthy and 
successful lives.

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