The President's Veto of Bipartisan Children's Health Insurance Bill

Floor Speech

THE PRESIDENT'S VETO OF BIPARTISAN CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE BILL -- (House of Representatives - October 15, 2007)

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Ms. CLARKE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Ohio for her leadership and for being here to give guidance during this hour for the CBC. And I want to thank our chairwoman, Ms. Carolyn Kilpatrick, for seeing fit to add this particular perspective to the conversation that we are having with our Nation around the Children's Health Insurance Program in our States.

And, Mr. Speaker, I'm elated to stand with my colleagues today to once again voice my support, my wholehearted support for children's health insurance coverage, also known as SCHIP.

Just over a week ago, the President vetoed bipartisan legislation that would have provided 10 million American children health coverage through SCHIP. Since the beginning of my tenure here, you know I'm a freshman, in this 110th session, this is the second time the President has vetoed important health care legislation with broad bipartisan support; the other veto being an expansion of potentially life saving stem cell research.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor and duty to stand with my fellow Democrats, telling this administration that this veto will not deter nor distract us from protecting the health and well-being of our children.

The people that I represent in central Brooklyn have spoken loud and clear, and so has the rest of America. Republicans and Democrats alike have expressed their dismay with the President's decision to veto this bipartisan legislation. Additionally, the country overwhelmingly supports the Children's Health Insurance Program. A recent Washington Post-ABC News poll indicates that 72 percent of the country supports the extension and reauthorization of the CHIP program. Governors of both parties across the country support the bipartisan bill.

Now, following the veto, the fight for health insurance for 10 million low-income children moves back to this body where the hard work of rebuilding and building consensus among both Democrats and Republicans has already taken place. Now, the rubber-stamp Republicans who have sided with the President and are standing between 10 million low-income children and their health care must hear from the American people. We will override the President's rejection of health coverage for 10 million children, but the voices of the American people must be heard by those in Washington.

SCHIP was created to provide health care coverage for children and families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford private insurance. It costs, as my colleague, STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES, has already stated, less than $3 a day to cover a child through the Children's Health Insurance Program.

Ensuring kids is also cost-effective for taxpayers, who pick up the tab for indigent care in emergency rooms, the most expensive way to care for a child's health, as well because a healthy child is more likely to succeed in education and life.

Over the last 10 years, the children's health program has proven to be popular and successful, with 6 million children now enrolled in the program. The bipartisan children's health insurance bill has broad bipartisan support. It's supported by 68 Senators, including 18 Republicans; it's supported by 43 Governors, including 16 Republicans; it's supported by more than 270 organizations representing millions of Americans; and it's supported by a strong majority of the American people.

This bipartisan bill renews and improves the Children's Health Insurance Program, providing health care coverage for 10 million children, preserving coverage for 6 million children currently covered by SCHIP, and extending coverage to nearly 4 million uninsured children according to the nonpartisan CBO.

Ironically, this morning I had an opportunity, along with my colleague, NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ, to attend a press conference hosted by the Working Families Party, ACORN, SCIU and Mothers in Our Community to reach out to a corporation in New York called KKR in midtown Manhattan. This is an investment firm that owns Toys-R-Us and Dollar General. These two toy retailers have already subjected America's families to massive and unprecedented recalls of millions of poisonous lead toys that have flooded the market. This is a great concern. If we don't get a commitment for a code of conduct protecting our children from lead poison, our holiday toy-buying season could mean putting the health of millions of American children at risk.

This concern is compounded by this administration's reckless disregard for our most vulnerable, our children. Just imagine the confluence of two of these things happening at the same time. Right now, parents and families, mothers are concerned about lead-tainted toys. And at the same time, when we need health care coverage that can identify lead poisoning, that can help to ameliorate some of those concerns, because, on the one hand, our safety is not being protected through the consumer protection, we need to have SCHIP in place.

Two-thirds of uninsured children are currently eligible for SCHIP or Medicaid. This bill is simply designed to give States the resources and incentives to enroll children who are eligible but not signed up for SCHIP and Medicare.

Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to be here to say that when we look at communities of color, in particular, black communities across this Nation, it has been this type of safety net health care that enables our communities to grow from strength to strength. These are just those American policies we need to give our families the boost they need so that when children go to school with asthma, they can be treated, they don't have to be out for days on end. When our children have hepatitis, tuberculosis, when they have any type of communicable disease, these diseases can be treated quickly before they reach the level of crisis in the emergency room.

SCHIP gives us that tool to be able to make sure that Americans are safe and secure, that their health and well-being is something that we all value as part of the American fabric of who we are.

And so I want to thank you, STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES, for anchoring this hour for the CBC. When we think about our communities and how critical this legislation is, not only for our communities, but for all Americans, this transcends race, ethnicity, gender. It's American children. I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to share this time with you.

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