[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 15 (Monday, January 22, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H614]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  PASS A BILL THAT INCLUDES FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS AND 
                         OTHER HEALTH PROGRAMS

  (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, Republicans claim that they have taken care 
of children's health insurance, but that is not the case. They 
politicized CHIP by adding it to this controversial continuing 
resolution. If they were really interested in children's health, they 
would have considered passing this bill separately from the continuing 
resolution, and we could have included funding for community health 
centers and other health programs critical to our seniors.
  Without an extension of funding for community health centers, the 
future of 142 centers in my State would be in jeopardy. These centers 
are where more than 200,000 New Jersey kids receive care when they get 
sick. You can't stand up for children's health when you are refusing to 
fund community health centers.
  For weeks, we had been conducting bipartisan negotiations on CHIP, 
community health centers, and all of the other extenders that are 
critical to Medicare and to seniors, but Republicans tossed that all 
aside in favor, yet again, of partisanship. Republicans decided that 
the Medicare providers, the safety net hospitals, and community health 
centers didn't matter.
  It is time for the partisanship to end. Let's get back to the 
negotiating table and work to pass a bill that includes the extenders, 
CHIP, community health centers, and all of these other healthcare 
programs. There is no reason we shouldn't be conducting those 
negotiations today.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 4872, the End 
the Shutdown Act of 2018, a continuing resolution that would 
immediately reopen the government while negotiations continue on a 
budget agreement that adheres to parity and other critical issues.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. As the Chair previously advised, that 
request cannot be entertained absent appropriate clearance.

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