[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 22157]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  DEMOCRATS WANT TO STRENGTHEN THE CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM

  (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, at a time when there are serious problems 
in our health care system, the Children's Health Insurance Program, 
otherwise known as CHIP, has a proven track record. Over the last 
decade, as the number of uninsured Americans has increased, the number 
of children living without health insurance has actually decreased, and 
thanks to the CHIP program, we have experienced a 60-percent drop in 
the number of uninsured children.
  This week, the House plans to reauthorize the CHIP program. Congress 
must act on this legislation now. In the past, CHIP has received strong 
bipartisan support. However, in an about-face, the President and some 
Republicans have abandoned their support of CHIP on supposed 
philosophical grounds.
  If Congress refuses to act this week, the nonpartisan Congressional 
Budget Office estimates that nearly 1 million children will lose their 
health coverage. Democrats are simply not to get that to happen. We are 
going to pass the CHIP reauthorization today so that 11 million 
children have access to the health insurance they need to live healthy 
lives.

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