[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992, Book I)]
[February 10, 1992]
[Pages 216-219]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks to the Conference on Healthy Children Ready To Learn

February 10, 1992
    The President. Thank you, Dr. Sullivan. And might I just say at the 
beginning of these brief remarks that I am very proud of Lou Sullivan 
and what he's doing as Secretary of HHS. He's doing a superb job, and we 
all are grateful to him. And when Dr. Novello and Lou suggested I could 
be here, let me just say it's a pleasure to be here

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today to help launch this historic conference.
    I particularly want to thank our Surgeon General, Antonia Novello. I 
see she brought most of her family with her. [Laughter] No, but let me 
just say this: As an observer with a pretty good observation post, she's 
inspired people all across the country with her example and her message. 
And she sums it up this way, she sums up the message better than anyone: 
``All children have a right to be healthy.'' Then she says, ``We need to 
speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.''
    And that's why you've gathered here this week, and you've come to 
lead a great movement of parents and doctors and teachers and public 
programs and private enterprise, a movement destined to transform 
America. And here's our goal--what's that guy got going? [Laughter] I 
think it's wonderful these kids are here, I really do. Makes me feel 
right at home.
    Here's our goal: By the year 2000, every American child will start 
school healthy and ready to learn. Our success will provide a lifetime 
of opportunity for our children. And it will guarantee the health and 
safety of our families and neighborhoods, and it will ensure that 
America remains the undisputed leader of the world. Now, I am proud that 
our administration is part of this movement. In this administration, 
families come first.
    We're proud to join hands with people like Trish Solomon Thomas, 
who's come from New Mexico to be here this afternoon. A little history: 
She has two children, both of them with special health needs. And she 
perfectly expressed the spirit of our movement when she said, ``I used 
to be shy, but I had to learn to stand up for my kids.'' And that's why 
we're here, to stand up for our kids. And we will not let them down.
    Our movement draws its strength from Trish and the millions of 
parents like her. The title of this conference says it all, ``Healthy 
Children Ready To Learn: The Critical Role of Parents.'' Now, parents 
are a child's first teachers, offering the love and spiritual 
nourishment that no Government program can ever hope to provide.
    And if I can brag for just a minute here today, you may know of 
Barbara's work promoting literacy. And I'm very proud of her. She wants 
to help parents understand just how important it is to read to their 
kids. And when parents read aloud to their young ones, they open their 
children to the joy of a larger world; they teach the self-assurance and 
curiosity that comes from learning. Barbara asked me to extend her best 
wishes. She's down on a learning program, an education program, right 
this minute in the State of Mississippi. [Applause] Don't know whether 
you're clapping because she's there or because she's interested in 
education, but nevertheless----[laughter]
    Audience member. Mississippi.
    The President. Oh, a little Mississippi delegation here.
    But anyway, our movement instills the habits of good health, 
wholesome nutrition, sound hygiene, and protective measures like early 
immunization. Parents know learning and health are two sides, really, of 
the same coin.
    And again, parents, families, communities are the key. But 
Government can help, must help. Last June, for example, Dr. Sullivan and 
I, with able advice from Dr. Novello, took steps to ensure that no 
American child is at risk from deadly diseases like polio, diphtheria, 
and measles. And we launched an initiative to support childhood 
immunizations, especially immunizations for kids in the early years of 
life. Now, that's a crucial step toward meeting our goal. And I'm proud 
we've been able to help. Since 1988, we've more than tripled the dollars 
for Federal immunization efforts, from $98 million to $297 million for 
1992.
    On Friday, Dr. Sullivan and the Surgeon General and I, we were just 
talking about it outside, were out in San Diego, and we had the 
privilege of visiting Logan Heights Family Health Center to see 
firsthand the benefits of this initiative. We spoke with parents and 
community leaders, and every one of them stressed the importance of 
early immunization in preventing illness.
    Logan Heights, one of many, I'm sure, but it's a perfect example of 
what can be done if concerned individuals set their minds to it. The 
center was founded by a

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wonderful woman named Laura Rodriguez, who's become one of our 
administration's what we call Points of Light, helping others, setting 
an example in the process. Laura saw a need, and with hard work and 
dedication, she rolled up her sleeves and did something about it. Logan 
Heights now serves 75,000 patients a year. So, I say thank God for 
people like Laura. She's an example for all of us. And there are many, 
many other examples right here in this room.
    And for those kids who need a head start in preparing for school, 
we've made sure that they'll get it. In the last 3 years, we have almost 
doubled the funding for Head Start programs, and this year I have 
proposed the largest single increase in Head Start's history, $600 
million. This year's increase will ensure that 157,000 more kids will be 
able to start school ready to learn.
    Head Start brings children and parents into the classroom, into the 
learning process. Head Start works because parents take the lead. You 
may not know this, but volunteers in Head Start outnumber paid staff by 
eight to one. Head Start works because people care. And we're making 
sure it continues to work. If it's good for America's kids, it's good 
for America.
    These are important steps. But there's more to do. And we must 
address the larger issues of American health care. And last week, I 
proposed a four-point plan to do just that. Every American family must 
have access to affordable, high-quality care.
    I don't need to tell you that the American health care system has 
problems. The crisis has probably touched many of you right here in this 
room. Right now, more than 8 million children go without health 
insurance because skyrocketing costs have placed coverage beyond the 
reach of their parents. And even parents who are covered worry about 
losing their family's insurance if they move on to a different job or, 
worse still, lose the job they have. You shouldn't have to live with 
this kind of uncertainty. No American family should. And my proposal 
will put an end to that.
    And yet, I think we should keep one thing in mind. It's important to 
remember: For all its problems the system, our health care system, still 
provides the best health care in the world. And that's why people from 
all over the world come here seeking better care. Most often they're 
trying to escape health care systems in which the government dictates 
how much care you'll get and what kind you'll get and when you'll get 
it. In America, that's unacceptable.
    Our great challenge, then, is to keep what works in our system and 
then reform what doesn't work. We must maintain a maximum freedom of 
choice and the highest quality care. And at the same time, we must make 
sure that our children have access to health care their parents can 
afford, sick or healthy, rich or poor. That's what this four-point plan 
does, and let me just briefly spell it out for you.
    First, to make health care more affordable and accessible, I want a 
$3,750 tax credit for low-income families to help them buy health 
insurance. For middle-income families, I've proposed a tax deduction for 
the same amount. Poor people, those who don't file taxes, would be 
covered under this plan.
    Second, to cut costs, we will make health care more efficient. The 
math is simple; the larger the group being covered, the lower the cost 
per individual. So what we've done is this: We've proposed health 
insurance networks that bring companies together to cut administrative 
costs and make insurance affordable for working parents.
    And third, we must cut out the waste and abuse. We can start with 
medical malpractice lawsuits that drive up the cost of care for 
everyone. A doctor pestered with frivolous litigation ends up passing 
his legal costs right along to you, the American people, and right along 
to the patient. And when you go to the doctor, I don't want you to have 
to pay a lawyer, too. Just pay the doctor.
    And finally, we must slow the spiraling costs of Federal health 
programs. These costs are rising far beyond the rate of inflation, which 
only endangers important benefits while making less money available for 
other pressing needs.
    There it is, a commonsense reform that will maintain high-quality 
care, cut costs, ensure maximum freedom of choice, and

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give every family, rich or poor, sick or healthy, access to health care. 
I know how important this is, particularly for parents who have children 
with special needs. And my plan will assure that you can change jobs 
without endangering the health insurance your child depends on. We're 
building on our system's strengths. And we're avoiding the pitfalls of 
nationalized care, the kind that people from all over the world come to 
America to escape.
    All these approaches for meeting our goal of ``Healthy Children 
Ready To Learn'' must build on a basic truth: In this country families 
come first. Government programs that overtake the rightful role of 
families and communities, that deny them the freedom of choice or bind 
them up in redtape, are simply unacceptable. Our movement is about 
strengthening families.
    And over the next few days I'm told you will continue a great 
national dialog, share information, explore new ideas, and then return 
to your communities to lead the good fight. Your commitment is an 
inspiration, and I thank you for inviting me by to get a feeling of it 
firsthand. And may God bless all of you.
    And now this little guy, I've got to tell you, those in the back, 
when I walked in and was sitting here looking very serious waiting for 
the doctor to introduce me, this guy in the blue, he goes like this to 
me. [Laughter] And I had to tell him, ``No, I have to stay up here.'' 
You know, I tried to communicate with him, but now I'm going to invite 
him to come up here and say hello to me.
    But thank you all, and may God bless America. Thank you very, very 
much.

                    Note: The President spoke at 2:07 p.m. at the Ramada 
                        Renaissance Hotel.