[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 67 (Wednesday, April 25, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5105-S5106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KERRY:
  S. 1221. A bill to provide for the enactment of comprehensive health 
care reform; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs.
  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, this week thousands of business owners, 
union members, faith leaders, physicians, nurses, and patients will 
come together in Washington and in each of the 50 States to demand 
immediate action to fix our Nation's growing health insurance crisis. 
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's fifth annual Cover the Uninsured 
Week will once again call attention to the 45 million of our neighbors, 
co-workers and friends--including 11 million children under age 21--who 
live without any health care coverage. Unable to afford doctor's visits 
and prescription drugs, they live day to day in fear that a child will 
get sick or suffer an accident. No family in this  great Nation should 
have to live in such fear.
  Understandably, the focus of Cover the Uninsured Week this year is on 
the great opportunity presenting this Congress to expand coverage to 
millions of America's uninsured children through the reauthorization 
and expansion of the successful, bipartisan State Children's Health 
Insurance Program. This is the number one domestic budget priority for 
me and for the new Democratic Congress.
  In a given year, uninsured kids are only half as likely to receive 
any medical care. That neglect leads to chronic disease. Uninsured kids 
also cost us productivity when parents must choose between working and 
caring for a sick child without the help of a doctor. Kids in public 
insurance programs perform 68 percent better in school, and insuring 
all of them would reduce avoidable hospitalizations by 22 percent.
  But while kids are undoubtedly our first priority, we must take care 
not to lose sight of our ultimate objective: Ensuring that every single 
man, woman, and child in America has affordable and meaningful health 
insurance coverage. The fact is that denying health insurance is not 
just immoral, it's ultimately more costly than insuring them. In the 
long run, this is an obvious choice.
  But we do not have time to wait for the long run. Our businesses, 
families, and health care providers need relief immediately from the 
insecurity, inefficiency, and inequity bred by a system which insures 
too few at too high a cost.
  Therefore, I am introducing today the ``Countdown to Coverage Act of 
2007.'' It's simple: The Countdown to Coverage Act requires Congress to 
pass legislation by the end of the 111th session that will ensure all 
Americans have quality, affordable health care coverage. If Congress 
fails to act, members will become responsible for 100 percent of the 
cost of their own plan through FEHBP.
  Senators and Congressmen give ourselves the very best health care 
coverage, and it's American taxpayers who foot the bill. Now, Congress 
needs to step up and pass universal health care coverage by 2011--or 
pay the price and pick up the cost of our own health care ourselves. 45 
million people--11 million kids--without health insurance is 
unacceptable in the richest country in the world. Every American 
deserves the kind of quality care that Senators and Congressmen give 
themselves, and this bill sets a deadline for members of Congress to 
take real action.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the legislation be printed 
in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1221

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Countdown to Coverage Act of 
     2007''.

     SEC. 2. COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CARE REFORM.

       (a) In General.--If a provision of law that ensures 
     accessible, affordable, and meaningful health insurance for 
     all Americans is not enacted before the adjournment, sine 
     die, of the 111th Congress, as determined by Institute of 
     Medicine, there shall be no Government contribution under 
     section 8906 of title 5, United States Code, for any Member 
     of Congress and any Member of Congress shall pay 100 percent 
     of all premiums for any health benefits plan under chapter 89 
     of that title.
       (b) Notification.--The Institute of Medicine shall submit 
     timely notice to the Office of Personnel Management, the 
     Secretary of the Senate, and the Chief Administrative Officer 
     of the House of Representatives of--
       (1) the determination that a provision of law has not been 
     enacted before the adjournment, sine die, of the 111th 
     Congress, as described under subsection (a); and
       (2) the dates and adjustments that are required to take 
     effect under this Act.
       (c) Adjustments.--After receiving notice under subsection 
     (b), the Office of Personnel Management, the Secretary of the 
     Senate, and the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of 
     Representatives shall make such

[[Page S5106]]

     adjustments as may be necessary on the first day of the first 
     applicable pay period beginning on or after the date of that 
     notice.
       (d) Regulations.--The Office of Personnel Management may 
     prescribe regulations to carry out this section.
                                 ______