[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 14, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H202-H203]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CONGRESS NEEDS TO EXPAND HEALTH CARE COVERAGE TO CHILDREN

  (Mr. McMAHON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. McMAHON. Madam Speaker and my colleagues, as my eloquent 
colleague from California just pointed out, the United States is the 
only developed Nation in the world that does not provide health care 
for all of our children.
  Today, millions of children from modest-income families are not 
regularly seeing a doctor because they are

[[Page H203]]

not enrolled in the Children's Health Insurance Program even though 
they are eligible. Today, this Congress has an opportunity to change 
that by passing legislation that will expand the program to 4 million 
additional kids.
  At a time of rising unemployment, passing this legislation is more 
important than ever. In this economic recession, more and more parents 
are having difficulty finding affordable health insurance for their 
children. The need for this legislation grows every day. And this 
legislation is fully paid for so it will not increase the Federal 
deficit.
  It is especially important for my home State of New York which has 
402,000 uninsured kids. Imagine that. Nearly 10 percent of the national 
total. And I therefore thank the sponsor, Congressman Frank Pallone, 
and the Chairmen Waxman and Miller for their work on this bill.
  Madam Speaker, this legislation has received strong bipartisan 
support in the past for a reason, and I urge my colleagues to vote for 
it today.

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