Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - May 10, 2007)

By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Mr. Obama):

S. 1352. A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 127 East Locust Street in Fairbury, Illinois, as the ``Dr. Francis Townsend Post Office Building''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce legislation to designate the U.S. Post Office at 127 East Locust Street in Fairbury, IL, as the ``Dr. Francis Townsend Post Office Building.'' I am grateful to Senator BARACK OBAMA, Mayor Robert Walter, Jr. and the Fairbury City Council for their support of this legislation.

This legislation honors Dr. Francis Townsend, the creator of the Townsend old-age revolving pension plan, and his hometown of Fairbury, IL, a town which will celebrate its sesquicentennial anniversary this June.

Dr. Francis E. Townsend, the son of a farmer, was born in January 1867. He became a physician and served in the Army Medical Corps during World War I. Following his retirement from medicine, Dr. Townsend developed an old-age pension plan for seniors during the Depression. The Townsend Plan created a Federal pension of $200 a month paid to every citizen age 60 and older, on the condition that the pensioner spend the entire sum within 30 days of receipt, in order to stimulate the economy.

Dr. Townsend advocated tirelessly around the country on behalf of his plan and encouraged 25 million Americans to sign petitions to the White House and to Congress demanding that the Federal Government institute a revolving old-age pension fund. It is likely that Townsend's efforts expedited passage of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Social Security Act, a major New Deal initiative. The Social Security Act included matching payments from the Federal Government, known as Old Age Assistance, and a national old-age annuity program. Though the initiative fell short of Dr. Townsend's vision, he continued to press for increased benefits to the elderly. Dr. Townsend's persistence helped to sustain the movement for increased elder benefits.

Dr. Francis Townsend, an innovator and social activist, was a pivotal figure in the antipoverty movement and became the leader of a social movement. I am pleased to introduce this legislation to permanently and publicly recognize Dr. Townsend by naming this post office in Fairbury in his honor. Given Dr. Townsend's dedication to his community and his commitment towards the improvement of society, the renaming of this post office would be a most appropriate way for us to express our appreciation to Dr. Townsend and to celebrate his contributions to our Nation's pension programs.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.

There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:

S. 1352

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By Mr. DURBIN:

S. 1362. A bill to establish a Strategic Gasoline and Fuel Reserve; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:

S. 1362

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By Mr. DURBIN:

S. 1364. A bill to amend titles XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act to extend the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIPS) and streamline enrollment under SCHIP and Medicaid, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Finance.

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, over 25 years ago, a member of the Select Panel for the Promotion of Child Health said in a statement to Congress, ``Children are one-third of our population and all of our future.'' We must protect the health and welfare of our nation's children if we are to secure the future of our country. This year we have a tremendous opportunity to ensure that security. With the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, SCHIP, we can improve the health and health care of our Nation's future, for the over 70 million children in America and, in particular, the 9 million children who have no health coverage.

Since the creation of SCHIP 10 years ago, more than 6.2 million children have been covered by this vital program, including over 290,000 children in Illinois. As the first State to provide coverage for all children, Illinois has been a leader in the movement to change the course of health care in this country. Since 1993, SCHIP, its relationship to Medicaid, and the flexibility that this administration has permitted the programs to have, have made it possible for Illinois to provide health care to the more than 313,000 children who did not have access to it before.

Nearly 1 million Illinois families have at least one uninsured family member, and the face of the uninsured is changing. The uninsured are not only the mother and daughter living in downtown Chicago. The uninsured includes the family who runs a small business in the suburbs, the family farm in central Illinois, and the single father working at a factory downstate.

The majority of kids without health care coverage come from working families, families like Mr. and Mrs. Buss and their three young sons. Lisa Buss and her husband own a small home inspection company. They paid over $9,000 last year alone on regular medical care, without any catastrophic events or emergencies. That's a lot of money for a family living in the suburbs of Chicago. There is also the Hickey family of Godfrey, Illinois. After an unfortunate accident, their son broke a couple of bones in his hand. Without insurance, they were hesitant to see the specialist at the suggestion of the emergency room physicians, but for the health of their son, they did so. For a 5 minute visit, they paid close to $1,000. Mr. Hickey works in the construction trade and work had been slow. Susan is a teacher for the Alton School District. They were given no financial assistance except to be offered a payment plan. Now, the Hickeys have to find a way to pay for their house payment and their utilities, rising gas prices, and this medical treatment.

The unnecessary burden and anxiety caused by health care is an unfortunate reality for too many, and children often bear the brunt of this hardship. Kids should not have to wait until their fever is 103 degrees to see a doctor. Kids should be able to obtain glasses when they are straining to see the chalkboard. Kids should be able to obtain antibiotics when that ``cold'' just won't go away. Our parents should not have to worry about whether they can afford to take their son to a bone specialist.

As is often the case, States are leading the way with children's health coverage initiatives. In 2005, my State of Illinois was the first State to ensure health care coverage for all children. Since then, many States have taken on the challenge of expanding health care coverage. The State of the States 2007 report by AcademyHealth indicates that more than a dozen States have enacted innovative policies to expand coverage. These range from comprehensive health care reform in States such as Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine; to public-private partnerships in States such as Arkansas, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Utah; to initiatives to cover all children in Illinois and Pennsylvania.

Democratic and Republican governors alike are exploring ways to reach the uninsured, proving that children's health and health care coverage are American issues, not partisan issues. One important way to insure more children is through a strong reauthorization of SCHIP.

Today, with the introduction of the Healthy Kids Act, I propose SCHIP reauthorization legislation that builds on the progress made in these States. First, the bill provides States with more funding to enroll children who are eligible but not enrolled in SCHIP. These kids account for more than half of all uninsured children.

Second, the Healthy Kids Act will eliminate obvious barriers to coverage and simplify enrollment procedures. For example, seven States have reported declines in Medicaid enrollments because of new citizenship requirements. Approximately 65 percent of internists report serving patients with Limited English Proficiency; for children living in these families, making language assistance services available is a critical precursor to quality care. My bill proposes options for States to reach the neediest children through SCHIP by reducing some of these barriers. For example, the bill provides for funds for language assistance services.

Third, the bill also supports the establishment of medical homes, a network of providers for children that helps prevent them from falling through the cracks. The bill puts forth an effort to create pediatric quality and performance measures. The Healthy Kids Act also establishes a disease prevention and treatment demonstration project for ethnic and racial minority children, using research that specifically examines disparities in minority children enrolled in Medicaid/SCHIP. We can reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes for this population.

Finally, the bill creates a commission to study children's health coverage. The Commission on Children's Health Coverage will develop policy recommendations and track the program's overall performance. Feedback and analysis of SCHIP's performance is critical to improving the program in the future.

SCHIP has been an unparalleled success and a model for health insurance coverage that both Democrats and Republicans can be proud of. Ensuring health care coverage for children in need is a priority for both sides of the aisle. The reauthorization of SCHIP is a rare opportunity for the Federal Government to expand its support for policies in States like Illinois and others. Let's take a step forward and work to provide basic health insurance for all children. Healthy children grow into healthy adults, in turn, these individuals are happier and spend less money on health care in the long run. The SCHIP program is critical for our Nation's health and economic future.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.

There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:

S. 1364

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