[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 18]
[House]
[Page 25387]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                 SCHIP

  (Mr. SESTAK asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. SESTAK. Mr. Speaker, 2 years ago, entering my 31st year in the 
military, my single daughter, 4-year-old Alex, was struck with a 
malignant brain tumor. After two brain operations and given 3 to 9 
months to live, we moved into a cancer ward and began a journey that 
has her here today and has me in the House.
  The incident that brought me here was, her roommate that day as she 
began her chemotherapy was a young 2\1/2\-year-old boy from Washington, 
DC. He was diagnosed that morning with acute leukemia, and for 6 hours 
we could not help but overhear as social workers came and went to see 
if that 2\1/2\-year-old boy could stay because his parents did not have 
health insurance.
  I have been in combat. I have seen the worst of human nature. I have 
also seen the best of human nature. This SCHIP bill would cover 10 
million uninsured Americans, that 2\1/2\-year-old boy, so that social 
worker does not determine whether some child is taken care of, is the 
best of our nature. I ask everyone to support the SCHIP bill.

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