[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 9 (Thursday, January 15, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E97]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2009

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                               speech of

                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 14, 2009

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong, 
unwavering, and steadfast support of the reauthorization of SCHIP to 
provide healthcare for millions of uninsured children. SCHIP is a 
critical safety net for children. As Chief Justice Thurgood Marshall 
once said, ``The measure of a country's greatness is its ability to 
retain compassion in times of crisis.'' Providing healthcare for low-
income children, especially during this economic crisis, reflects a 
commitment to the least among us as well as sound economic policy. A 
healthy child is prepared for school and life. A healthy child does not 
require costly emergency room visits. I applaud House leaders for 
including mental health parity and dental coverage for children.
  In Fiscal Year 2007, SCHIP provided health care to over 345,000 
children in Illinois. Unfortunately, due to overwhelming need, Illinois 
faced a shortfall in federal spending last year. This bill does much to 
address this gap. Specifically, in addition to preserving coverage for 
the 7 million children currently in the program, this bill expands 
coverage to another 4 million children in need.
  I want to briefly mention the efforts of Chicago Public Schools in 
helping low income families overcome many of the barriers that often 
prevent them from enrolling in SCHIP. The Children and Family Benefits 
Unit assisted approximately 60 schools in a recent 12 month period, 
helping over 4,200 families' complete applications to enroll into the 
Illinois CHIP, including Medicaid. I am proud of this effort in 
Chicago, and I am pleased that this bill will continue to support such 
programs.
  In closing, this bill will provide much-needed health care for low-
income children in Chicago, Illinois, and the nation, and I look 
forward to this bill being signed into law in the near future.

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