[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 175 (Tuesday, November 13, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H13546-H13548]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF CHILDREN'S HEALTH MONTH
Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 760) supporting the goals and ideals of Children's
Health Month, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 760
Whereas children comprise one quarter of the population of
the United States;
Whereas nearly 1 in 5 children in the United States are
overweight;
Whereas 7 percent of children in the United States have
limitations on activity due to chronic health conditions;
Whereas an estimated 12 percent of high school seniors put
themselves at risk by smoking cigarettes daily;
Whereas children account for 30,000,000 annual visits to
the emergency room to receive care for injuries or illnesses;
Whereas asthma affects nearly 5,000,000 American children;
Whereas allergies affect about 50,000,000 American
children;
Whereas motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of
death for children and adolescents ages 1 to 21;
Whereas dental caries is the most common chronic disease
affecting American children, and is 5 times more common than
asthma and 7 times more common than hay fever;
Whereas during fiscal year 2005, an estimated 899,000
children in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and
Puerto Rico were determined to be victims of abuse or
neglect; and
Whereas every year since 1928 the President has issued a
proclamation designating the month October as ``Children's
Health Month'': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the goals and ideals of Children's Health
Month;
(2) invites the chief executive officers of the States,
territories, and possessions of the United States to issue
proclamations recognizing the goals and ideals of Children's
Health Month;
(3) commends the efforts of States, territories, and
possessions of the United States, localities, nonprofit
organizations, businesses, and the people of the United
States who support the goals and ideals of Children's Health
Month;
(4) recognizes and reaffirms our Nation's commitment to
providing access to health care, ensuring preventative care,
seeking cures for debilitating diseases and chronic
conditions, and promoting healthy living habits for America's
children;
(5) recognizes and salutes the health care professionals
who provide care and treatment for childhood illnesses and
afflictions;
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(6) recognizes and salutes the officials who protect
children from environmental health and safety risks;
(7) recognizes and salutes the officials who educate
parents, schools, and communities about health risks and
related issues for children; and
(8) encourages States, territories, and possessions of the
United States to educate children about healthy living habits
when they are young so that they will be more likely to lead
healthy lives as adults.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Costa). Pursuant to the rule, the
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps) and the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Upton) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.
General Leave
Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on the resolution now under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of House Resolution 760 which supports the goals
and ideals of Children's Health Month. I commend my colleagues, Kathy
Castor of Florida and Dave Reichert of Washington, for introducing this
important resolution. A school nurse myself for 20 or more years, I
can't emphasize enough the importance of reaffirming a stronger
commitment to provide better access to health care for children.
We absolutely must take greater steps in providing preventive care,
promoting healthy habits, and finding cures to chronic conditions that
are becoming more prevalent in our Nation's children.
Perhaps one of the greatest steps we can take is to finally
reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Programs. As this
resolution notes, one of the greatest contributors to unhealthy
outcomes in our children is a lack of access to care. Our Children's
Health Insurance Program would provide health care access to an
additional 4 million children who are eligible but not now covered.
This bill was supported by 265 House Members and 64 Senators. I hope we
will soon see this bill signed into law. Though we know there are other
steps we must also take, this is the primary one.
There are steps in addition to this legislation that we can take.
When one in five children in the United States are overweight, 5
million children are affected by asthma, and 50 million children suffer
from allergies, we know we must take steps to improve healthy
environments as well as healthy habits. With this resolution, we
applaud the efforts of the many families, communities, health care
professionals, and others in our communities, and officials as well,
who are taking these steps already; and we encourage in this resolution
that States be proactive in promoting healthy living habits to children
so that they can lead healthy lives as adults.
Most importantly, perhaps, this resolution reminds us of what our
priorities in this Congress should be. Undoubtedly, our children should
be number one. I commend this resolution for reaffirming that.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.
I want to again thank Chairman Dingell, Ranking Member Barton, and
certainly Lois Capps for her leadership on this issue. I again rise in
support of H. Res. 760, a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of
Children's Health Month.
The overarching goal of designating October each year as Children's
Health Month is to draw attention to the need to provide access to
health care, insuring preventative care, seek cures for diseases and
chronic conditions, and promote healthy living habits for all of
America's children.
There has been much discussion recently both on the floor and in the
media about children's health care. The objective, obviously, to cover
the health needs of children is of paramount concern, particularly with
low-income children. Children's Health Month should remind us of that
important message. I stand in support, and ask that my colleagues
support the resolution as well.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield such time as she
may consume to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor).
Ms. CASTOR. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my good friend and
colleague, Mrs. Capps from California, for yielding the time, and thank
her for her ongoing efforts and advocacy on behalf of the health of
America's children and all Americans all across this country.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 760,
supporting the goals and ideals of Children's Health Month. As cochair
of the Congressional Children's Health Care Caucus, I am pleased to
offer this resolution along with my colleague from the other side of
the aisle, Mr. Reichert of Washington, who is the cochair of the
caucus.
This has been an important year for work on children's health issues.
As grandparents and parents and teachers and doctors and nurses and all
community members understand, our work on behalf of children's health
is constant, notwithstanding the fact that we are going to recognize a
certain month here today.
We are working on behalf of children's health in so many
collaborative ways, and we want to encourage more. We are encouraging
families and schools to focus on healthy living habits and healthy
nutrition for children. We are working to combat childhood obesity and
to promote exercise and physical activity. We are continuing our
concerted efforts to keep our children and teens from smoking. We are
working to educate families and raise medical awareness about critical
childhood illnesses such as asthma and diabetes. And, so many across
this country are working to help parents and other families sign their
kids up for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, and
those activities must continue.
But our concerns are not limited only to the physical health of our
children, but also to their mental health and their behavioral health.
I note just today that two new studies were released relating to early
childhood behavior. We have got to remain at the cutting edge, and we
have got to continue to encourage our talented researchers in my home
State in Florida, Mrs. Capps' State of California, and all across the
country to continue their work.
In addition, all too often our children are victims of abuse and
neglect and do not receive the special care required to meet their
health care needs and their mental health care needs. Here in the
Congress, we are working to ensure that these disparities are
eliminated and that our children receive all the support that they
need. We would like our neighbors back home to know that we care about
their families and the well-being of their children, and we will
continue to draw attention to these issues and work hard to amend these
problems.
Mr. Speaker, today as we acknowledge Children's Health Month and the
importance of its meaning, we remind our neighbors and this body of the
special attention needed for children's health. We salute the parents,
pediatricians, nurses, and all community members that work every day to
care for our kids, for their physical and mental well-being. We commend
those institutions that have honored the goals of this special month,
and we acknowledge the importance of supporting America's children by
reinforcing our sincere dedication to providing access to health care
for our kids, ensuring preventative care, seeking cures for
debilitating diseases and chronic conditions, and promoting healthy
lifestyles for America's children.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to urge adoption of
this resolution which goes to the heart of a major priority that we
have in this Congress, which is to support our children's health. This
is for the sake of our children, of course, but it is also on behalf of
their families, the most important people in their lives, on behalf of
our communities. And really, in truth, it is about our future, because,
after all, our children are our future, and a healthy future is that
much better for all of us.
Mrs. CAPPS. I yield back the balance of my time.
[[Page H13548]]
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps) that the House suspend the
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 760, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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