Press Conference with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA); Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD); Rep. John Dingell (D-MI); Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL)

Press Conference with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA); Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD); Rep. John Dingell (D-MI); Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL); Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) Subject: SCHIP Reauthorization

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REP. PELOSI: Good morning.

REPORTERS: Good morning.

REP. PELOSI: I knew you were out there, I could just tell.

(Laughter.)

Today we are joined by a very courageous young girl and her mother. We are joined by Jemma (sp) and Bonnie Frost (sp). Three years ago Jemma (sp) and her brother Graham (sp) were in a horrible -- with their mom -- were in a horrible automobile accident. They suffered traumatic brain injuries. They suffered injuries that children should never have to suffer.

Fortunately, for the Frost family and for these children, they received the very best care that our American health system has to offer. The health care that they received was made possible by the SCHIP program, the children's health insurance program. With the help of SCHIP coverage the Frost family had the security of knowing that even in a time of family tragedy that Jemma (sp) and Graham (sp) had access to the care that they needed.

This week Congress will complete SCHIP legislation that will secure SCHIP coverage for Jemma (sp) and for Graham (sp) and for more than 10 million children in our country. They are a living example of the importance of SCHIP and we are very proud to have Jemma (sp) and her proud mother, Bonnie (sp), with us today. We think the president has 10 million reasons to sign the SCHIP bill: the 10 million children who will benefit.

I'll say more about this legislation perhaps in the Q&A and from our colleagues here, but I want to acknowledge, as I've said before, every organization that cares about children in our country, from AARP to YMCA alphabetically, and everything in between -- (chuckles) -- has -- has written letters in support of the reauthorization of SCHIP. Today we have representatives of the American Public Health Association; of Catholic Health Association; the AMA board chair, Dr. Edward Langston; the president of First Focus (sp), Ruth Leslie (sp); the director of public policy of the United Way; the associate director of the American Academy of Pediatrics; the vice president of policy, Voices for America's Children. That's pretty close at the end of the alphabet, but in between Families USA, every organization that cares about children has spoken out against it. And in July, 43 governors -- a bipartisan, distinguished list of governors from across the country -- urged the reauthorization of SCHIP. Today we are going to take up that matter on the floor of the House under the leadership of our majority leader, Steny Hoyer.

Steny.

REP. HOYER: Thank you very much, Madame Speaker.

Jemma (sp), it's good to be here with you, and it's good to be here with your mom, isn't it? We're glad you're here.

Let me tell you, Jemma (sp), what the president of the United States said just a couple of years ago. And he was talking about you. I'm quoting: "America's children must also have a healthy start in life. In a new term" -- this is what he said in 2004, before he started his second term in January 2005 -- "in a new term, we will lead an aggressive effort to enroll millions of children who are eligible but not signed up for government health insurance programs." Now let me emphasize "for government health insurance programs;" the president's said a lot about government health insurance lately. He then went on to say, "We will not allow a lack of attention or information to stand between these children and the health care they need." Two specific things he wanted to do: add millions, Jemma (sp), of young people your age -- maybe a little older, maybe a little younger -- millions of you to ensure that you had health insurance so that when you got in that serious accident, it would not be a question but that you would get the medical attention you needed. Why? Jemma (sp), we want you to be healthy and happy and successful. That's why we're doing this.

Today we will pass through the House of Representatives the CHIP bill. That will redeem the president's pledge to America. And the issue will be shortly after that whether or not the president will be able to say promises made, promises kept.

We are giving him that opportunity. Jemma (sp), this legislation reauthorizing the State Children's Health Insurance Program clearly demonstrates how this Democratic Congress is working to make a real difference in the lives of the Jemmas (sp) of America.

There's nothing more important than the health care of you and your fellow children. The importance of offering health care coverage to low income children was made all too clear in my own district, Prince George's County. Just a few miles from where we sit, in the richest country on the face of the earth, the tragic death of 12 year old Deamonte Driver from Prince George's County.

His death, the result of a brain infection, Jemma (sp), that came from an abscessed tooth. He had a tooth ache. But Jemma (sp), he didn't have health insurance and his folks could not access dental care.

This bill includes dental care so that Deamonte Drivers will not die again, whatever his name may be. For many low income families, like Deamonte, dental care is simply out of reach. Now I'm proud to say that the SCHIP program includes a comprehensive dental benefit that will give low income children the dental care they need.

Mr. President, we ask you. We ask you on behalf of Jemma (sp), on behalf of Deamonte Driver, on behalf of the millions of children that you said you wanted to add to this critical program, when we sign -- when we pass this bill this week, change your mind for Jemma (sp), for Deamonte and millions like them. Sign this bill, Mr. President.

REP. PELOSI: Thank you, Mr. Hoyer. And acknowledging the leadership of everyone who's been involved with this legislation, I want to particularly commend the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee of Chairman John Dingell. Mr. Dingell has a previous engagement at this time, but he has been a strong, strong leader on SCHIP and he was a strong negotiator with the Senate on behalf of Jemma (sp), Graham (sp) and children across America.

This has been bipartisan. This issue has always been bipartisan. When it first came into existence 10 years ago there was a Republican Congress and a Democratic president, President Clinton in the White House. The bill was negotiated then by now Congressman Rahm Emanuel, the chair of our House Democratic Caucus. This has been a passion of his in politics and in the White House and now in the Congress of the United States.

Thanks for your leadership.

Rahm Emanuel.

REP. EMANUEL: Thank you, Madame Speaker.

Thank you, Steny.

Thank you for being here.

Last week, we had two messages from the president. He asked for $200 billion more for the war in Iraq, and he threatened to veto a $35 billion expansion of the children's health insurance plan. And he said about SCHIP it was excessive spending, and that's why he would threaten to veto it -- $200 billion for Iraq -- $200 billion more -- and $35 billion for 10 million American kids, and he labeled the kids program -- the kids health care program as excessive spending.

I do agree with the president we do have excessive spending. We have excessive spending in the war in Iraq. One day of the war in Iraq would give 250,000 children health care in the United States. One week of the war in Iraq would give 1.7 million children health care in the United States. One month for the cost of the war in Iraq would give 7.5 million American children health care. And for 41 days in the war in Iraq, which we've been at for four-and-a-half years, for 41 days, the war in Iraq, the cost of the war in Iraq, would give all 10 million children of America health care.

And make no mistake about this, it's not about the spending, it's about the priorities. And the president has told us his priorities.

So it's no surprise that the president finds himself isolated -- isolated from Republicans here in Washington, isolated from Republicans in the state capitals, and isolated from the American people who overwhelmingly want to see this reauthorized and expanded to help more American children get health care, and for parents who don't have to choose between being good parents and good workers because they make more than Medicaid but not enough for private insurance.

I want to read you what Senator Orrin Hatch said. Quote, "We're talking about kids who basically don't have coverage. I think the president's had some pretty bad advice on this." Senator Charles Grassley: "This bipartisan plan breaks the legislative impasse and should have strong support among Democrats and Republicans." Senator Susan Collins said: "The president would be making a terrible mistake if he vetoed the plan." Congressman Ray LaHood: "This is a good, bipartisan compromise to help millions of uninsured children in our country."

Still the president opposes the Children's Health Insurance Plan, and claims it puts us on the road to socialized medicine. Excuse me; I never knew that Senator Orrin Hatch, Senator Grassley were members of the socialist party.

I never knew Governor Blunt, who asked for an extension in Missouri, was a member of the Socialist Party. I never knew Governor Schwarzenegger, who supports this, was a member of the Socialist Party. The Children's Health Insurance Program has given 10 million children -- as the Speaker said, there's 10 million reasons to support this.

Republicans and Democrats have come together. I do office hours at grocery stores across this country, meet people everyday just walking in out of their grocery stores. They say I want you in Washington to work together across party lines to get -- solve America's problems.

This is exactly what we did on the minimum wage, come together. On the 9/11 commission recommendations, come together and solve -- bipartisan solve problems. On the lobbying bill, come together to solve problems for America. On the veterans health care, bipartisan, came together to solve problems. On the college loan for $20 billion for kids to go to college education, bipartisan agreement to come together.

And that's exactly the road map we're following on the children's health insurance plan, a bipartisan compromise to give 10 million kids health care. And it's time the president not be isolated in the White House and join this bipartisan compromise. It is a good bill for 10 million children to make sure they get a healthy start in life.

Thank you for your leadership.

REP. PELOSI: Thank you, Chairman Emanuel. I had hoped by now that we would have been joined by Chairman Rangel, Chairman of the Ways and Means committee, who has also -- his committee, his work and that of chairman of the subcommittee, Pete Stark, they have been strong advocates for promoting the health of America's children. He can't be here because he has a hearing that is still going on but I want to commend Chairman Rangel for his exceptional leadership and his role in bringing us to this bipartisan compromise that we have here today.

Representing, though, the committee of -- one of the committees of jurisdiction, the Energy and Commerce Committee, the chair of the Health Subcommittee, Congressman Pallone is with us. I salute him for his exceptional leadership. He is a part of the Democratic leadership of the House in his committee and at the leadership table. He has been a strong advocate for SCHIP.

Congressman Pallone, thank you.

REP. PALLONE: Thank you. First, let me thank Speaker Pelosi and our Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer, because really without their efforts we would not have this bipartisan -- and I stress bipartisan -- agreement. But it's really because of what they've done the last few weeks and the last few months that we're here today, that we're able to be here today.

And I also want to thank the Frost family. And really, as the Speaker said, the problem, I think, for President Bush is that he doesn't personalize what's going on here. You are here today and when we can actually give examples of how people are helped by SCHIP then I don't know how anybody can say that they don't want to sign a bill making more children eligible.

You know that for the last 10 years SCHIP has provided peace of mind to the Frost family and to a lot of other people around the country. And, you know, when the president says, "Well, everyone can just go to the emergency room," what he's really ignoring is that peace of mind that's necessary, that you can have the preventative care that the kid in Maryland was not able to take advantage of to have your tooth taken care of or to be able to go to a doctor on a regular basis. And then after the emergency room care, as in the case of Jemma (sp), to know that there's going to be after-care provided, that it's not just a question of going to the emergency room and then you're gone and you don't have health insurance, that you can continue to have it afterwards and go and see a doctor.

So it's this preventative care. It's not just the emergency care, it's also the after-care that's so important and the peace of mind that comes along with that.

Now the problem is that although this program has been very successful, about a quarter of the kids who didn't have health insurance 10 years ago now have it through SCHIP, but we know for the last two years the number of kids that are uninsured actually has gone up. So we need to do something. As Rahm Emanuel said, we're just being practical here.

This is not ideological. We know there are a lot of kids eligible for the existing program that are not accessing the program, are not enrolled because there isn't enough money. And what we're doing with this legislation is doing more outreach and actually bringing on another 4 million children that are eligible for SCHIP but are not being reached now simply because we don't have the money.

And I would simply ask, look at this practically, Mr. President. This is a good program. You supported it in the past. Sign this bill, don't veto it, so people like the Frost family and others can continue to have peace of mind.

REP. PELOSI: Thank you very much, Chairman Pallone. I thank my colleagues, so many of whom worked to make this day possible. When we passed the bill on the floor, in it's original House floor, at that time it was late in the day, it was called the children's hour. I quoted Henry Wadsworth Longfellow at that time. Maybe you'll be studying that poem in school.

When I took this gavel as Speaker of the House I said I did so on behalf of all of America's children. So that children's hour was particularly gratifying, that we would be doing something quite remarkable, quite necessary for the children of America. Today I think more to the Bible and I say to the president, Mr. President please don't veto this bill. Please do not give new meaning to the words "suffer little children." Please join our bipartisan compromise for 10 million children in America.

With that, we'd be pleased to take any questions.

Q Madam Speaker, what are you hearing as far as the -- (inaudible) -- to override, the likelihood of a veto? How are things going right now?

REP. PELOSI: Well right now we're going in in a very optimistic way about sending a bill to the president's desk. Steny, do you want to speak to that issue? I mean obviously what we're hoping to do is to galvanize the support of the American people behind this legislation. The drumbeat across America for a value that says we treasure our children and we want them to have good health, prevention, nutrition and the care they need. A drumbeat across America that extends to Republicans, 61 to 32 Republican voters support SCHIP, support the president signing this legislation.

So what is happening here is that the president will find himself alone. He will be drawing a line between him and all of the people across America who support the health and well-being of America's children. So we don't have to talk about override right now, we just talk about sending a bill to the president's desk right now.

Q (Off mike) -- rationale for not including illegal immigrant children -- (off mike).

REP. PELOSI: As you know, that provision was in the House bill, something we still -- I still advocate and hope that one day we can get, but it isn't in this legislation. So what the rationale is is what can pass in the United States Senate and I feel confident, though, that at some point a decision will be made nationally that the Supreme Court made several years ago. These legal children who are in our country legally should be educated and likewise they should have health insurance.

Q Madam Speaker, do you have -- (inaudible) --

REP. PELOSI: We're going to have a whip meeting as soon as this meeting ends and we'll find out about that.

Q I know you don't want to talk about the post-veto strategy, but how do you keep the public -- how do you keep the pressure on and how do you keep the public mobilized?

REP. PELOSI: We're depending on Jemma (sp) to help us do that, Jemma (sp), Graham (sp) and Bonnie (sp) and their family. They'll be on TV later today. And we just are depending on the fact that we need this coverage, that you can't send -- you can't say to the children of America you have health care, just go to the emergency room.

This -- you know, it's important to note that -- where people are on this. When President Bush was governor of Texas, Texas ranked 49th in the implementation of SCHIP in terms of insuring the children there. There may be a philosophical difference here but the country should know that because that's not where the American people are.

Q Madam Speaker, how much of a bell weather is -- (inaudible) -- near or at party line voting?

REP. PELOSI: Every vote is a different vote. I'll let the distinguished majority leader speak (to that ?).

REP. HOYER: I don't accept the premise this is going to be a party line vote. There's a significant number of Republicans who are going to vote for this bill. Rahm Emanuel just quoted Senator Grassley, Senator Collins and other Republicans, Senator Hatch, who are very strongly for this bill.

Senator Grassley, in particular, the ranking Republican on the Finance Committee who has jurisdiction, who was the chair of this committee, has urged the president to sign this bill. The president indicated that he wanted to do this. He didn't say a few children, he said he wanted to add millions of children.

And in terms of cost consciousness, everybody in this room knows that the most expensive intervention in the health care system is in emergency rooms. This saves money. Healthy children make for a health country and a healthy economy and saving dollars. So we don't think this -- your premise that this is going to be somehow a narrowly partisan --

Q (Off mike.)

REP. HOYER: I do that from time to time myself.

Q (Off mike) -- in order to -- (inaudible) -- that strategy will be successful in the future for future legislation -- (inaudible) -- going forward?

REP. HOYER: I certainly -- go ahead.

REP. PELOSI: Well, the fact is this. The fact that they have to whip against America's children I think should be a telling action for everyone who is concerned about America's children. They whipped against our innovation agenda. They didn't get 100 votes. They may get more today because the White House is engaged in this. The president did sign our innovation agenda.

And just one more point, all of the things that Chairman Emanuel mentioned earlier: the minimum wage; the increased benefits for veterans, the biggest increase in the 77 year history of the Veterans Administration; what we did on student loans that the president will sign on Thursday; the innovation agenda, the list is a long one of initiatives that we have passed with strong bipartisan support. We're looking to make a difference. We're not looking for a fight but we are definitely prepared to fight for America's children.

REP. HOYER: On the appropriation bills, for instance, we passed all 12 appropriation bills. We had an average of 285 members voting for every one of those bills -- average -- some well over 300. We have not passed a narrow, partisan agenda through this House of Representatives.

I regret that the Republicans are whipping against legislation which carries out, as I pointed out very clearly, something the president said in 2004 in seeking the support of the American people for reelection, that he wanted to and would do, add millions of Jemmas (sp) to health insurance to make sure that they were covered. And he referred to government. This is not a government program, it is a government supported program. We would hope the president would change his mind. We would hope that an overwhelming number of Republicans would join an overwhelming number of Democrats in responding to that president's promise.

REP. PELOSI: Ron.

REP. EMANUEL: Three quick points. One is that Steny used the quote of the president when he said he was for SCHIP in 2004 when he was running for election and now he's against it. It reminds me that he was for SCHIP before he was against it.

Second, and what's very, very important, I think it is an important point to remember here is our accomplishments, as the Speaker said, have all been on a bipartisan fashion. This is going to have a big bipartisan vote. But what I find, as a student of politics most fascinating, in the '80s the Republicans used to attack the poor. This president has chose to attack middle class children getting health care. And it's one of the most bizarre turns in politics I've ever seen. What they're doing now is the president says he's against providing health care insurance for middle class children. These are parents who work full-time.

They are too rich for Medicaid and not enough money for private insurance. That is why they are on SCHIP. But I want to write this fact: 77 percent of the kids enrolled in SCHIP are in private insurance plans. So it is nowhere close to a -- although it's government-administered, as Steny said, 77 percent of all the children in the SCHIP children's insurance plan are enrolled in private insurance plans. It is a privately managed health care plan.

REP. PELOSI: Just one more question from someone who hasn't had a question.

Q Chairman Emanuel and Madame Speaker -- Chairman, you said the president is against sending health care to middle-class children. Senator (Baucus ?) and Senator Grassley have said that -- (off mike) --

REP. EMANUEL: Obviously, it depends what you think middle class is. I think people earning $45,000 would be middle class. I think that's clear. And Republicans -- and if you look at the data that came out from the Urban Institute, the fastest growth of uninsured has happened among middle class for children -- 750,000 kids have been among the middle class.

This has been wildly successful. In the last 10 years, the growth -- the only population sector that has actually had a(n) increase in coverage while everybody else has exploded in the uninsured has been children because of SCHIP. And in the last two years, the actual slide we've had is among middle-class children. It depends on what you call middle class. I think 45,000 (dollars), and at least the Bungalow Belt of Chicago that I represent, is middle class.

REP. HOYER: Can I make a comment on that, Madame Speaker?

REP. PELOSI: Please.

REP. HOYER: I want to reiterate because I'm not just quoting this to be one up on the president. Middle class -- the definition of middle class is somewhat esoteric; some people pick this number, some people pick the other number. But what the president said -- "In a new term we will lead an aggressive effort to enroll millions of," he said, "poor children who are eligible but not signed up for government health insurance programs." In other words, he says in '04 there are millions of children who are eligible right now that aren't included and I'm going to lead an aggressive effort to make sure that's not the case. We are doing that.

He has the opportunity to carry out that pledge by signing this bill.

REP. PELOSI: As you may be aware, I'm the mother of five children and the grandmother of six, soon to be seven. This fight will not end this week or next. The president refuses to sign the bill. He says veto; I forbid 10 million children in America to have health care. This legislation will haunt him again and again and again. It's not going away because the children are not going away. They need this help, and we will continue to work in a bipartisan fashion to put bills on the president's desk and see how long he can hold a veto-proof majority. So this is a -- not a veto, but he can sustain a veto.

So we'll be seeing Jemma (sp) again -- perhaps Graham (sp) will come next time -- if the president persists in this very poor choice that he is making. And again, the 10 million children in America who need SCHIP will have their needs met. That is the pledge of this Congress in a bipartisan way.

Sometimes in politics we talk about what is inconceivable. Maybe it's inconceivable to the president of the United States right now that he can not sustain a veto; that he decided this course of action and that will be the law of the land. But for us, it is inevitable that these children will have this health care. We just have to shorten the distance between the inconceivable to the president and the inevitable to us.

Again, I took that gavel on behalf of America's children. Their health and their well-being are not only essential to their self- fulfillment, the economic security of their families; it's essential to the national security of our country because the strength of our country has to be measured in those terms as well. So we're in this for the long haul.

Thank you, Jemma (sp). Thank you, Bonnie (sp). Thank you all.

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