[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 127 (Friday, August 3, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10879-S10881]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             SMALL BUSINESS CHILDREN'S HEALTH EDUCATION ACT

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, the 17th century English writer, Izaak 
Walton, said--

       Look to your health; and if you have it, praise God, and 
     value it next to a good conscience; for health is . . . a 
     blessing that money can't buy.

  Today in America, good health is not free. And for many working 
people, the cost and accessibility of quality health care has become 
prohibitive.
  A decade ago, the Congress and President Clinton made a major 
downpayment on improving our health care delivery system.
  Their new approach was aimed at a gap between children of very low-
income families who were covered under Medicaid and children of middle- 
and upper-income families who could fortunately afford private 
insurance, usually through their employers.
  But between the two, millions of children whose families neither 
qualify for Medicaid nor can afford private insurance are uninsured.
  So in 1997, the Congress passed the Children's Health Insurance 
Program to fill that void.
  When President Clinton signed that legislation into law, he said--

       [The program] strengthens our families by extending health 
     insurance coverage to up to 5 million children. By investing 
     $24 billion, we will be able to provide quality medical care 
     for these children--everything from regular check-ups to 
     major surgery.
       I want every child in America to grow up healthy and 
     strong, and this investment takes a major step toward that 
     goal.

  Today, 10 years later, the Children's Health Insurance Program has 
been a smashing success by any measure.
  With this innovative program, the number of uninsured children of 
working families has dropped by almost 35 percent.
  Today, 6.6 million children have insurance thanks to this outstanding 
program.

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  Many of these kids are now getting regular checkups. They are 
benefiting from preventive medicine. And their primary care comes from 
a family doctor, not from an expensive and inefficient emergency room.
  Examples of this program's success can be found in every State.
  Since 1998, Terry Rasner of Reno, NV, has helped children in Nevada 
enroll in Nevada Check Up, which is the Nevada Children's Health 
Insurance Program.
  In a 2001 profile, Terry told of a father trying to care for his 
daughters, ages 2 and 3, both in need of medical attention.
  With Terry's help, the father's application for coverage of his 
daughters was approved within 2 weeks. At the girls' first doctor's 
appointment, one was diagnosed with a severe heart condition and was 
immediately scheduled for surgery.
  Terry recalled the father telling her staff that this program--funded 
federally and put into action locally--had literally saved this little 
girl's life.
  And Terry remembered the joy they all shared--the father, the girls 
and the program staff.
  But Terry was quick to point out in a recent email that this story is 
just one example.
  She went on to write:

       There are many stories of children as old as 11 and 12 who 
     were finally able to visit a dentist for the first time in 
     their lives.
       Stories of families who finally felt whole because they 
     could access affordable medical and dental care for their 
     children.
       School nurses who were acutely involved in supporting and 
     promoting this program from the outset because they were on 
     the frontlines of failed programs--or no programs at all--to 
     address the medical and dental needs of children of low-
     income working families.
       One child in particular was so bad off, he was unable to 
     eat and chew food due to the dramatic decay and gum morbidity 
     in his mouth. Imagine, children for the first time in their 
     lives actually getting to see a doctor or dentist that their 
     parents were able to afford.

  Stories like this--examples of the Children's Health Program saving 
lives--are being told across America, and the statistics bear that out.
  Study after study shows that: kids enrolled in the Children's Health 
Insurance Program are much more likely to have regular doctor and 
dental care; they report lower rates of unmet need for care; the 
quality of care they receive is far better than it was before; school 
performance improves; the plan is helping to close the disparity in 
care for minority children; and it has become a major source of care 
for rural children.
  So, Mr. President, there is no doubt--no question at all--that the 
Children's Health Insurance Program is good for kids, good for families 
and good for America.
  Today before us is legislation to reauthorize and improve the 
Children's Health Insurance Program.
  This bill maintains coverage for the 6.6 million children currently 
enrolled and adds an additional 3.3 million low-income, uninsured 
children.
  It also improves the program by curbing coverage of adults in the 
program and targeting the lowest income-eligible families as new 
enrollees.
  As good as this bill is, I would have preferred a more robust 
reauthorization.
  I think we should provide coverage for even more low-income children, 
as we hoped to do in the Budget Resolution.
  But we all know that legislating is the art of compromise.
  I understand that some of my colleagues balked at a larger bill, and 
while I am disappointed, I am satisfied that this bipartisan compromise 
will be a positive step toward better health care for those who need it 
most.
  There is a rival bill that is called the CHIP alternative bill. But 
this bill is no alternative.
  It will leave many families without any options for coverage. It will 
turn back the clock on all the progress the program has made over the 
past 10 years. It is not worthy of our support.
  Some of my colleagues share my feelings that we could have done more. 
Still others feel this bill is too generous in that it provides 
coverage for too many uninsured children.
  But the bill before us now has broad support, and back in 2004, 
during his reelection campaign, President Bush shared the goals that 
this bill achieves.
  He said during the campaign--

       In a new term, we will lead an aggressive effort to enroll 
     millions of poor children who are eligible but not signed up 
     for government health insurance programs. We will not allow a 
     lack of attention, or information, to stand between these 
     children and the health care they need.

  Now, just 3 years later, President Bush seems to be singing a 
different tune. He is now threatening to veto this legislation for what 
he calls ``philosophical reasons.''
  What is the impact of this legislation?
  A ``no'' vote denies the most vulnerable children in our society the 
chance to live healthy lives.
  A ``yes'' vote gives 10 million children the protection of health 
care and all the opportunities of a healthy, well-cared-for life.
  I can't imagine any of my colleagues--or the President--telling a 
child: You can't have health coverage. You have to stop seeing your 
doctor. If you get sick, your parents will have to take you to the 
emergency room.
  If that were to happen--if the Congress were to reject the program or 
President Bush were to veto it for so-called philosophical reasons--
they would be putting the health of millions of children at risk.
  But I am hopeful that will not happen. This bill was forged through 
bipartisanship and a genuine pursuit of common ground.
  I so appreciate the work of Chairman Baucus and Ranking Member 
Grassley of the Finance Committee, along with Senators Rockefeller and 
Hatch.
  Their efforts were rewarded in the Finance Committee with an 
overwhelming 17-to-4 vote in favor of the bill, and I am hopeful that 
we will mirror that here on the Senate floor.
  All too often, we hear about what Government can't do. The Children's 
Health Insurance Program is a stellar example of what it can.
  This program is Government at its best: lending a helping hand, 
providing a safety net to children who need a boost to reach their full 
potential.
  I couldn't be prouder to support this outstanding program, and I urge 
all of my colleagues to do the same.
 Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, last night, the Senate voted to 
reauthorize the vitally important State Children's Health Insurance 
Program, SCHIP. The legislation, approved by a vote of 68 to 31, 
demonstrates the Democratic majority's commitment to expanding this 
successful health insurance program and made a loud and clear statement 
regarding the importance of children's health as a national priority. 
During debate on this bill, I offered an amendment to add $15 billion 
in additional funding to cover over a million additional low-income 
children. Unfortunately this amendment was not adopted, however I am 
grateful to my colleagues for voting to include as part of H.R 976 the 
Small Business Children's Health Education Act, which I introduced in 
June with Senators Snowe and Levin. This amendment directs the Federal 
Government to make a concerted effort to reach out to small business 
owners and employees to enroll eligible children in SCHIP.
  In February of 2007, the Urban Institute reported that among those 
eligible for the State Children's Health Insurance Program, children 
whose families are self-employed or who work for small business 
concerns are far less likely to be enrolled. Specifically, one out of 
every four eligible children with parents who work for a small business 
or who are self employed are not enrolled. This statistic compares with 
just one out of every 10 eligible children whose parents work for a 
large firm.
  We need to do a better job of informing and educating America's small 
business owners and employees of the options that may be available for 
covering uninsured children. To that effect, the Small Business 
Children's Health Education Act creates an intergovernmental task 
force, consisting of the Administrator of the Small Business 
Administration, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the 
Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Treasury, to conduct a campaign 
to enroll kids of small business employees who are eligible for SCHIP 
and Medicaid but are not currently enrolled. To educate America's small 
businesses on the availability of SCHIP and Medicaid, the task force is 
authorized to

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make use of the Small Business Administration's business partners, 
including the Service Corps of Retired Executives, the Small Business 
Development Centers, Certified Development Companies, and Women's 
Business Centers, and is authorized to enter into memoranda of 
understanding with chambers of commerce across the country.
  Additionally, the Small Business Administration is directed to post 
SCHIP and Medicaid eligibility criteria and enrollment information on 
its website, and to report back to the Senate and House Committees on 
Small Business regarding the status and successes of the task force's 
efforts to enroll eligible kids.
  I would like to thank Finance Committee Chairman Baucus and Ranking 
Member Grassley for their work to include this amendment in the SCHIP 
Reauthorization Act. I look forward to working with our colleagues in 
the House of Representatives to send the President a bill that goes a 
long way toward what should be our unified goal: to cover every child 
in America.

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