[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 175 (Thursday, December 3, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H8973-H8974]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       SUPPORT FOR THE CRADLE ACT

  (Mr. POLIQUIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)

[[Page H8974]]

  

  Mr. POLIQUIN. Mr. Speaker, sadly, every year in America, more than 
20,000 babies are born addicted to drugs. Last year alone, nearly 1,000 
of those babies were born in Maine. We can help these babies by passing 
H.R. 3865, the Cradle Act, of which I am proud to be an original 
cosponsor.
  Eighty percent of addicted infants are covered by Medicaid and 
treated at local hospitals; however, our hospitals are overwhelmed. 
They are not equipped to provide the specialized care that these babies 
desperately need to recover from the drugs in their tiny bodies.
  Residential pediatric recovery centers are designed and 
professionally staffed to provide this critically important early 
clinical care. These centers depend on Medicaid dollars to stay open, 
but need clear certification guidelines in order to receive those 
funds. The Cradle Act does that.
  Every baby born into this world deserves our compassion and care. 
This is an opportunity to help the most vulnerable among us. This bill 
offers real hope for a healthy, safe, and loving start for thousands of 
American babies born addicted to drugs.

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