[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 684]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                 SCHIP

  (Ms. GIFFORDS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. GIFFORDS. Madam Speaker, I rise today because signing a robust 
SCHIP authorization bill into law will truly make this a happy new year 
for more than 170,000 kids in my home State of Arizona.
  The coverage that they receive through Arizona's SCHIP program, known 
as KidsCare, will change their lives, will change their futures and 
will change the future of the country.
  At the end of 2008, more than one out of every seven or over 16 
percent of kids in Arizona were uninsured. That makes Arizona the 
fourth nationally for the percentage of children in each State that 
goes without health insurance.
  I am deeply concerned about the worsening economic crisis, and what 
the growing unemployment means for health insurance in our future.
  As we work to stabilize our economy, Democrats and Republicans have 
to stay united for our children. We are their representatives. We are 
their voices. We have to speak out for the kids of our Nation. In this 
economic climate, we must not fail to recognize that health care 
continues to be incredibly expensive, the most costly economic 
challenge confronting our families and businesses.
  I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the SCHIP reauthorization.

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