Congressional Budget For The United States Government For Fiscal Year 2008

Floor Speech

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET FOR THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008 -- (Senate - March 21, 2007)

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Mr. REED. Madam President, I thank the Senator for his gracious yielding of time and for his exceptional work on this budget.

I wish to speak particularly to the issue of SCHIP. Shortly, Senator Cornyn will offer an amendment that was offered in the Budget Committee and defeated there, and it should be defeated on the floor of the Senate. His amendment seeks to tie the hands of the Finance Committee and make policy determinations on a program that has direct impact on millions of American families and children.

Millions of low-income Americans receive their health care under the State Children's Health Insurance Program, SCHIP. This program is a safety net for low-income families. Rhode Island has provided extraordinary support to families working and struggling to provide health care for their children. By most estimates, the number of uninsured is going up in this country--most recently estimated at about 46 million. If we undermine the SCHIP program, those numbers will increase and particularly, obviously, in the ranks of uninsured children.

SCHIP provides approximately 20,000 Rhode Islanders with health insurance coverage. My State worked hard on a bipartisan basis--Republican Governors, Democratic Governors, and the Democratic assembly--to build a health care system for children that works. A few years ago, we had one of the lowest rates of uninsured children in the Nation because of SCHIP and local efforts. In the last several years, the rate of uninsured children, even in Rhode Island, has gone up.

We have to have the resources to keep this program going forward. These dollars mean the difference between children getting access to health care and being denied health care. It affects their ability to learn in school and their long-term ability to be productive and contributing citizens. This is a vital program.

We see these shortfalls perennially in some States that aggressively support the SCHIP program. We have been able to make fixes in the past, redistributing funds. This time, we need a budget--and Senator Conrad has provided it--that will give us the resources and flexibility to reauthorize SCHIP so it will work in the future.

Senators BOXER, CONRAD, and ROCKEFELLER have put forth responsible amendments to deal with the SCHIP policy issue. Unlike the proposed amendment of Senator Cornyn, the Baucus-Rockefeller amendment puts the needs and interests of children first in the context of reauthorization.

I believe this budget, including up to $50 billion to expand SCHIP, is exactly the right direction. When you go to Rhode Island, or any State, and you talk to particularly the working people who are struggling to make ends meet, the No. 1 issue on their minds is: How can I afford health care insurance?

I had a neighbor rush across the street last Friday morning, while I was clearing the snow off my car, who said: I don't know what I can do; my health insurance just went up 66 percent. That is the crisis real Americans face every day. This is a response--a very important response--but not a final answer to health care in the United States. Goodness gracious, if we cannot take care of children and give them health care, then what else should we do? What is more important than that?

I think we have to recognize that some States, such as mine, have been able to expand this program to include the parents of some of these children. That is a positive step because it provides better health care for the whole family. In fact, the statistics and analyses show if you can have a family treated as a whole, you have a better health outcome. Also, it provides, again, another way to stop the ever increasing number of uninsured Americans, be they children or adults.

I congratulate Chairman Conrad for his work and commitment. I hope when we leave this budget debate, we can proclaim loudly and proudly we have expanded coverage health care coverage for children in this country. That is something I think we can all take great pride and claim satisfaction in doing. I urge us to reject the Cornyn amendment and support this budget. I commend Senator Conrad for what he has done.

I will make several quick points about the budget. It restores fiscal discipline. I commend the chairman for that. It adds important assets and commitments to affordable housing funds. The language allows us to go forward on that. Education and veterans are important priorities. This budget is one of which the people can be proud. I know the people of Rhode Island will be.

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