Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007

Floor Speech

CHILDREN'S HEALTH AND MEDICARE PROTECTION ACT OF 2007

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for yielding to me.

Mr. Speaker, 9 million children in this country lack health insurance coverage, so it shouldn't come as a big surprise that 91 percent of voters support extending to SCHIP coverage to 5 million more children. That is 5 million more children according to the Congressional Budget Office, and that Governors from both sides of the aisle are supporting this legislation across the country.

The real surprise is that our President has threatened to veto this bill, a bill to cover children and to improve Medicare for our Nation's seniors and for people with disabilities. My question is, why are the President and so many of our colleagues saying ``no'' to basic health care to children, for adequate payments to doctors, for protecting Medicare?

In yesterday's New York Times, I think Paul Krugman hit the nail on the head when he said that President Bush must fear the intent of this bill, which is to cover more children, because he fears that it actually might work. That if America sees government helping children, they will wonder why we can't do the same for everyone.

The President said he opposes expanding children's health care because it will hurt private insurance companies. Astounding. Forget uninsured kids. The President is the champion of insurance companies.

And people across the aisle are saying it is really about seniors when they are talking about the Medicare Advantage programs. But let's be clear. The Medicare Advantage HMOs are reaping overpayments of up to 40 percent. The overpayments are being subsidized by 80 percent of the seniors and disabled people who are not in Medicare Advantage plans through higher part B premiums.

I want to urge the former Speaker of the House to cease giving patently false information about the Illinois SCHIP program which insures far more children than their parents.

Let's be on the side of children.

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