[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 16619-16620]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL HEALTH CENTER 
                                  WEEK

  Mr. SCARBOROUGH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from 
the Speaker's table the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 381) 
expressing the sense of the Congress that there should be established a 
National Health Center Week to raise awareness of health services 
provided by community, migrant, and homeless health centers, and ask 
for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, 
actually, I stand not to object, but to end up praising those who have 
come forth. As the sponsor of this resolution, I want to, first of all 
commend and thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus); the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Capuano), cochair of the Health 
Center Caucus; the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bonilla), cochair of the 
Health Center Caucus; the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), who 
is also a cochair of the Health Center Caucus; the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Hall); the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Cramer); the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Evans); the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman); and 
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood).

[[Page 16620]]

  Mr. Speaker, this resolution draws attention to the tremendous 
service that has been provided by the community health centers for the 
last 35 years. As a matter of fact, these centers have stood in the gap 
between crisis and health care delivery for hundreds of thousands of 
individuals over that period of time, especially individuals from low-
income, from inner city, from migrant, from rural, individuals who were 
homeless, individuals who otherwise would have had no health care 
services that they could have been recipients of.
  I believe that we ought to establish a National Health Center Week so 
that we can point out how important these centers have truly been. I 
happen to know, Mr. Speaker, that there are several Members of this 
Congress who themselves have either worked as staff, for example, or 
board members of these centers, the gentlewoman from North Carolina 
(Mrs. Clayton) at Soul City; the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. 
Thompson) at the Jackson Heinz Health Center in Jackson, Mississippi, 
and I have had the good fortune and pleasure to work as a training 
director at the Martin Luther King Center in Chicago and as a special 
assistant to the president of the Miles Square Center in Chicago.
  So the history and legacy of these programs, they bring economic 
development to their communities. Right now, they have operating 
budgets of more than $4 billion. They generate more than $14 billion in 
economic development for the communities where they are. They are a 
real testament to what can happen, what has happened and what we look 
forward to them in the future.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I also want 
to congratulate the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), my colleague, 
he is from the Chicago area, I am a downstater, for helping bring this 
important resolution to the floor.
  Community migrant and homeless health care centers provide cost 
effective quality care to our country's poor and medically underserved. 
They act as a vital safety net for our health delivery systems, reduce 
health disparities that large portions of our population experience.
  These centers are nonprofit, community-owned and operated and serve 
all 50 States. They provide health care to those who otherwise would 
not have access to health care, serving 1 in 12 rural citizens, 1 in 8 
low-income Americans and 1 in 10 uninsured Americans. I represent a 
rural area and much of my district has limited access to health care.
  The center operating in Springfield, Illinois has made vital health 
services available to the community. By serving a specific area, the 
centers can tailor their services to specific needs of the community 
and work together with schools, businesses, churches, and community 
organizations to provide the best care possible.
  The establishment of a national community health center week will 
help raise awareness of the wonderful services that these centers 
provide our Nation. And I urge my colleagues to vote for this 
legislation. Again, I commend the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), 
my colleague and friend.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the concurrent resolution, as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 381

       Whereas community, migrant, and homeless health centers are 
     nonprofit, community owned and operated health providers and 
     are vital to the Nation's communities;
       Whereas there are more than 1,029 such health centers 
     serving more than 11,000,000 people at 3,200 health delivery 
     sites, spanning urban and rural communities in all 50 States, 
     the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin 
     Islands;
       Whereas such health centers have provided cost-effective, 
     quality health care to the Nation's poor and medically 
     underserved (including the working poor, the uninsured, and 
     many high-risk and vulnerable populations), acting as a vital 
     safety net in the Nation's health delivery system, meeting 
     escalating health needs, and reducing health disparities;
       Whereas these health centers provide care to 1 of every 10 
     uninsured Americans, 1 of every 8 low-income Americans, and 1 
     of every 12 rural Americans, and these Americans would 
     otherwise lack access to health care;
       Whereas these health centers and other innovative programs 
     in primary and preventive care reach out to more than 500,000 
     homeless persons and 600,000 farm workers;
       Whereas these health centers make health care responsive 
     and cost effective by integrating the delivery of primary 
     care with aggressive outreach, patient education, 
     translation, and enabling support services;
       Whereas these health centers increase the use of preventive 
     health services such as immunizations, Pap smears, 
     mammograms, and glaucoma screenings;
       Whereas in communities served by these health centers, 
     infant mortality rates have been reduced between 10 and 40 
     percent;
       Whereas these health centers are built by community 
     initiative;
       Whereas Federal grants provide seed money empowering 
     communities to find partners and resources and to recruit 
     doctors and needed health professionals;
       Whereas Federal grants on average contribute 28 percent of 
     such a health center's budget, with the remainder provided by 
     State and local governments, medicare, medicaid, private 
     contributions, private insurance, and patient fees;
       Whereas these health centers are community oriented and 
     patient focused;
       Whereas these health centers tailor their services to fit 
     the special needs and priorities of communities, working 
     together with schools, businesses, churches, community 
     organizations, foundations, and State and local governments;
       Whereas these health centers contribute to the health and 
     well-being of their communities by keeping children healthy 
     and in school and helping adults remain productive and on the 
     job;
       Whereas these health centers, with a total operating budget 
     of $4,000,000,000, bolster and stabilize communities by 
     stimulating development and investment, generating more than 
     $14,000,000,000 in community economic development each year;
       Whereas these health centers engage citizen participation 
     and provide jobs for 50,000 community residents; and
       Whereas the establishment of a National Community Health 
     Center Week for the week beginning on August 20, 2000, would 
     raise awareness of the health services provided by these 
     health centers: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that--
       (1) there should be established a National Community Health 
     Center Week to raise awareness of health services provided by 
     community, migrant, and homeless health centers; and
       (2) the President should issue a proclamation calling on 
     the people of the United States and interested organizations 
     to observe such a week with appropriate programs and 
     activities.

  The concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________