[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 22156]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             TOWARDS FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE SCHIP LEGISLATION

  (Mr. WALBERG asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WALBERG. Madam Speaker, I support renewing SCHIP to aid children 
in low-income families. But the bill that the Democratic leadership 
plans to bring to the floor this week is an absolute train wreck that 
will lead to a nanny-state, government-run health care system.
  This bill would cause 3.2 million seniors in 22 States, including 
over 14,000 in my district, to lose their Medicare Advantage benefits. 
The Congressional Budget Office says this bill would shift 2.1 million 
children who are currently in private health care plans to less 
effective, government-run health care.
  Additionally, this bill guts several fiscal responsibility measures 
designed to keep Medicare spending in check, encourage illegal 
immigrants to apply for SCHIP and Medicaid benefits by eliminating the 
requirement that persons applying for such services show proof of 
citizenship or nationality, and makes it possible for people 25 years 
old to receive SCHIP benefits.
  In summation, this bill takes a program designed to aid children of 
low-income families and instead expands our welfare state and sides 
with bureaucracy rather than the needy children and seniors.
  Madam Speaker, I strongly encourage my colleagues to oppose this form 
of legislation.

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