[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 686]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 SCHIP LEGISLATION IS VITAL LEGISLATION

  (Ms. SPEIER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker and Members, it is a remarkable day today 
because we will vote to insure 11 million American children. But the 
real question is, do we want to continue to be a third world country 
because we are the only industrialized Nation in the world that does 
not provide health care to its children.
  Twice our outgoing President has vetoed similar bills. But what is 
the cost of not providing medical coverage to our children? What is the 
cost of routine medical conditions clogging our emergency rooms? What 
is the cost of healthy children sharing classrooms and playgrounds with 
classmates afflicted with undiagnosed and untreated contagious 
diseases?
  Nearly three-quarters of the uninsured children qualify for Medicaid 
or SCHIP but are not enrolled. And with job losses, multiplying at a 
record pace, these numbers will only increase.
  I urge my colleagues to support this measure because simply put, we 
cannot afford not to.

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