[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 156 (Tuesday, October 16, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H11553]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT TO COVER THE POOREST KIDS FIRST

  (Mr. STEARNS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STEARNS. Madam Speaker, let me just talk to my colleagues. A new 
Gallup Poll just came out yesterday, and it really shows what we on 
this side have been talking about.
  The poll indicates that over 55 percent of Americans are worried that 
the expansion of the SCHIP program would create incentives for families 
to drop private health coverage and switch to the public program. This 
goes to the very core of what we've been saying.
  I was here in 1997 when Republicans created the SCHIP program. The 
Democrat leadership is creating a future entitlement train wreck, and 
they would be wise to listen to the American people before tying the 
hands of our Federal Government with more spending.
  The poll goes on further to state that over 52 percent of Americans 
believe that most benefits should go to families making 200 percent 
below the poverty line. This was the original intent of the law.
  The American people are asking Congress to follow the original 
bipartisan plan for the SCHIP program. The American people want to 
cover the poorest kids first; we do, too. The Democrat leadership needs 
to understand they're not doing the American people a favor with this 
program.

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