[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 160 (Monday, October 22, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2192]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E2192]]
 CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2007--VETO 
            MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. SANDER M. LEVIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 18, 2007

  Mr. LEVIN. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of overriding the 
President's veto on the Children's Health Insurance Program.
  The bill would provide health coverage to more than 10 million low-
income kids. In my home State of Michigan, this means expanding a 
program that works to 80,900 kids that are already eligible. The 
families of these kids make between $20,535 and $41,300 a year.
  The claims against the bill are false.
  This program is not for well-to-do families. Most kids the bill would 
cover are in families making less than $41,300 a year.
  This is not about socialized medicine. It covers kids under the same 
private health plans and private doctors that treat the 6 million kids 
in the original program authorized in 1997 under a Republican Congress.
  This is not about providing health insurance to illegal immigrants. 
Undocumented immigrants have never been eligible for the Children's 
Health Insurance Program and this bill requires that kids show proof of 
citizenship to enroll.
  Today we have a choice to make. Do we, as Representatives of the 9 
million uninsured kids in America, expand an effective program to 
provide insurance to 10 million low-income kids? Or do we let rigid 
ideology and false arguments stand in the way?

                          ____________________