[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 143 (Tuesday, September 25, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H10887]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 CHIP REAUTHORIZATION AND DENTAL HEALTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to express my appreciation 
to Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Dingell and our entire Congress which has 
passed a bipartisan, bicameral agreement to reauthorize the Children's 
Health Insurance Program for an additional 5 years.
  While I would have preferred a bill with more funding to cover 
additional children, I am pleased that the $35 billion increase agreed 
to by House and Senate negotiators will bring health coverage to 
approximately 10 million children in need, preserving coverage for the 
6.6 million who are currently enrolled in a program, while reaching 
many others who are eligible but not enrolled.
  I am especially pleased that the agreement ensures quality dental 
coverage for all children enrolled in CHIP. This provision became a 
major initiative for me following the tragic death of a 12-year-old 
Maryland boy named Deamonte Driver.
  Mr. Speaker, Deamonte died February of this year when an untreated 
tooth infection spread to his brain. Eighty dollars worth of dental 
care might have saved his life, but Deamonte was poor and homeless. He 
did not have access to a dentist. Deamonte Driver's case was rare and 
extreme, but he was by no means alone in his suffering.
  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dental 
decay is the second most common chronic childhood disease in this 
country. And it is preventable. Few public health challenges of this 
magnitude are so easy to address. We are faced with this problem 
because we have systematically failed to provide children with the care 
they need.
  Approximately 9 million children are uninsured in this country, but 
more than twice that amount, 20 million, are without dental insurance. 
That is why I am so glad that we will not only ensure the health 
coverage of 10 million children, but ensure that they have access to 
dental care as well.
  Those of us in the Maryland delegation stood up in support of this 
vitally important initiative; and in a Congress-wide push, we were 
joined by 60 of our colleagues. On this issue, Democrats and 
Republicans from both Chambers have put aside differences to draft 
critically important legislation that will help American children. 
Unfortunately, we have received nothing but push-back from the 
administration.
  In an arrogant attempt to interfere with the business of Congress, 
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services sent a letter to States 
on August 17 that has the potential of drastically limiting some 
States' ability to implement CHIP. H.R. 976 clarifies States' ability 
to implement the law, and it also addresses the President's concern 
that CHIP would not go to cover the Nation's poorest children. On this 
point, let me be clear: this legislation provides health insurance 
coverage to poor children, children who were already eligible for the 
benefit but were not enrolled.
  President Bush is playing politics with our children's health by 
threatening to veto the bipartisan CHIP reauthorization and deny 10 
million low-income kids the health care they need and deserve. The 
President has instead expressed support for his own CHIP proposal, 
which will result in 84,000 low-income children losing their health 
care coverage, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
  Again, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that my colleagues sent a strong 
message to the President by voting in favor of the bicameral CHIP 
reauthorization.

                          ____________________