Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act Of 2009

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, Republicans have had an opportunity this week to highlight a number of our better ideas to ensuring low-income children receive quality health care. We will continue to offer our plans to improve this program. I think there is certainly a possibility of finishing the SCHIP bill today, which will let us turn to the economy next week.

We all know the economy is clearly the top issue on the minds of all Americans. I think we all agree we need to act to strengthen our economy and to create jobs. Unfortunately, the bill produced by the Democratic Congress falls short on a number of important fronts. First, it does not fix the main problem, which is housing. We need to address that issue, and my colleagues will have better ideas to stimulate home ownership. Next, we need to let taxpayers keep more of what they earn. Finally, we should not be spending taxpayer dollars we do not have on programs we do not need.

We have seen a lot of reports recently on what is in the bill--everything from buying cars for Federal employees, to beautifying ATV trails, to spiffing up the headquarters building at the Department of Commerce. In a time of trillion-dollar deficits, we cannot afford Washington business as usual. We should insist on the highest standards. Are these projects really necessary? Will they stimulate the economy? Will they create jobs? Should we ask the American people to foot the bill? Republicans believe that letting individuals and businesses keep more of what they earn will have a quicker stimulative effect than having the Government spend it on projects, particularly ones that are likely to be delayed for 3 to 4 years.

We look forward to offering amendments to improve this critical legislation and move it back to the package President Obama originally proposed--40-percent tax relief, no wasteful spending, and a bipartisan approach.

Republicans have better ideas to dramatically improve this bill that will go at the problem, create jobs, and stimulate the economy. We have better ideas to address the housing crisis, which is where this problem originated. But in order to pass these and other commonsense amendments, we will need support from our friends on the other side of the aisle. Fixing our economy requires innovative ideas, commonsense solutions, and bipartisan cooperation. It is clear from last night's vote in the House that the only thing that is bipartisan about this bill is the opposition to it. It simply does not meet the standard of bipartisan cooperation set by President Obama and welcomed by Republicans in Congress.

Republicans stand ready to work with our friends across the aisle to create truly bipartisan legislation which will actually stimulate the economy and create jobs, and we are ready to start next week.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, there is no debate among Republicans concerning access to affordable health care for children--we believe every child should have access to quality affordable health care.

Many of us are proud of our role in creating the children's health program, SCHIP. We think it ought to be reauthorized responsibly.

But we are troubled by the direction the program has taken in recent years. It has strayed from its original purpose--the purpose Republicans support--of providing coverage to low-income, uninsured children.

This bill before us would only exacerbate those troubling trends.

That is why I offered an alternative--the Kids First Act--to return the children's health program to its original purpose of covering low-income children.

Senate Republicans also believe we need to focus scarce resources on those families who need it most. Mr. Cornyn offered an amendment to use any leftover state funds to help insure children who are eligible, but not enrolled, rather than expanding to high-income beneficiaries.

Senate Republicans believe SCHIP should cover those children who don't have insurance yet. Senator Kyl offered a commonsense amendment which says kids should be able to keep the coverage they have, freeing up resources to enroll more children who don't have insurance.

Senate Republicans believe that States should cover low-income children who are not yet enrolled before they expand subsidies to wealthier families. Senators Murkowski, Specter, Collins, and Johanns offered an amendment to require just that.

Regrettably, our friends across the aisle rejected each and every one of these commonsense proposals.

As a result, we are left with a bill that fails to address the fundamental problems facing this children's health program--and that I cannot support.

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