[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;

[[Page H13547]]

       (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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