Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 105 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 105 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 143 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 1997 No. 74 House of Representatives The House met at 12:30 p.m. and was been a high priority. Although Repub- publicans are being forced to address called to order by the Speaker pro tem- licans have failed to realize that 10 this issue as a result of the $16 billion pore [Mr. NETHERCUTT]. million uninsured children in this set aside for children's health care f country is a problem that needs to be under the balanced budget resolution. addressed, I have to assure my col- Of the 10 million uninsured children, DESIGNATION OF THE SPEAKER leagues that Democrats have not let approximately 3 million are already el- PRO TEMPORE the needs of these children fall on deaf igible for Medicaid. But what we do in The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- ears. As one of the three cochairs of our plan is provide grants to States to fore the House the following commu- the Democratic Health Care Task help local communities in developing nication from the Speaker: Force, we have held hearings and meet- outreach programs to take these 3 mil- WASHINGTON, DC, ings with child advocacy groups and lion children out of the ranks of unin- June 3, 1997. various health care providers who have sured, with maximum flexibility to em- I hereby designate the Honorable GEORGE all been very clear in expressing the ployee communities resources. So first, R. NETHERCUTT, Jr., to act as Speaker pro need for Federal involvement in this what we are doing is to try to get to tempore on this day. issue. the kids that already are eligible for NEWT GINGRICH, Two months ago, I and a number of Medicaid but for whatever reason are Speaker of the House of Representatives. my colleagues on the Democratic side not signed up. f sent a letter urging that the Repub- In addition, our Democratic plan will enable children to remain eligible for MORNING HOUR DEBATES lican leaders move legislation forward by Mother's Day that would benefit the Medicaid for a full year from the time The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- uninsured children. Since then, the they are determined eligible. At ant to the order of the House of Janu- GOP has really done nothing about the present, the status is evaluated many ary 21, 1997, the Chair will now recog- issue while each day more children times in a given year, oftentimes lead- nize Members from lists submitted by enter the ranks of the uninsured. ing to children having health care in- the majority and minority leaders for Just as an example, Mr. Speaker, in surance one month but not another. morning hour debates. The Chair will my home State of New Jersey, over This change will offer continuity and alternate recognition between the par- 200,000 children are currently without allow parents to be more at ease with ties, with each party limited to not to health insurance, according to a very the guarantee that their child will not exceed 30 minutes, and each Member good estimate. That many children lose health care coverage from one except the majority and minority lead- should not be without health insurance month to the next. ers limited to not to exceed 5 minutes. in this Nation if we think about what The Democratic plan creates The Chair recognizes the gentleman it means nationwide. Many do not real- Medikids, which is a new matching from New Jersey [Mr. PALLONE] for 5 ize that over 90 percent of all uninsured grant program that will provide States minutes. children are in working families whose with the necessary resources to seek f employer does not offer health insur- innovative State solutions to meet the ance or who just cannot because the needs of uninsured children in working DEMOCRATS HAVE TAKEN LEAD family or the policy that the employer families. States would be eligible for ON CHILDREN'S HEALTH CARE provides, they just cannot afford to pay extra money if they expand Medicaid Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, in the the skyrocketing costs. coverage to cover pregnant women up coming days, I am hopeful that a chil- I have to say, Mr. Speaker, that to 185 percent of the poverty level and dren's health care initiative will Democrats understand these statistics all children through the age of 18 in emerge as a result of the budget rec- and the Democratic Health Care Task families below 100 percent of the pov- onciliation process. It is my under- Force has developed a proposal to ad- erty level. Just to give an example, Mr. standing that approximately $16 billion dress the problem of uninsured kids. Speaker, my home State of New Jersey over 5 years has been set aside in the Our task force plan would strengthen already covers pregnant women up to budget to provide money to help fami- Medicaid, create a new flexible match- 185 percent of the poverty level, but lies obtain health coverage for their ing grant program for working families they only cover children up to the age children. and enact important health insurance of 13. So if they expand that to 18, they Since last year, Mr. Speaker, when reforms. And this proposal, the Demo- then will not only have an expanded the Democrats developed the Families cratic Health Care Task Force pro- Medicaid Program, but they would be First agenda, children's health care has posal, can be considered now that Re- able to take advantage of the new b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H3215 H3216 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE June 3, 1997 Medikids matching grant programs to we also have to appreciate what is I want to reassure people that several expand health insurance even beyond being done and that, indeed, a number things are being done. I have directed Medicaid to a lot more working fami- of steps are already underway to deal my staff to coordinate closely with the lies. with this. West Virginia Commissioner of Agri- Under this grant program or This is not a new issue. In 1994, Fed- culture, Gus Douglas, who has already Medikids Program, States may provide eral and State officials were proactive taken the lead on this over the past assistance on a sliding scale, and they in initiating a project to monitor water few years. We are today in the field in have flexibility to determine the level quality generated in the Potomac and Hardy County and other areas talking of assistance. They could use the a number of agencies came together, with many of the parties involved. The money, the additional funds they get, along with the U.S. Geological Service first thing is to identify the full extent to pay for programs already helping and the Natural Resource Conservation of the problem and the second is to uninsured children in their State, but Service. They performed a long-term make sure that we are working in close the benefits package must be com- study and found that there were high coordination. parable to what is offered under Medic- concentrations of fecal coliform and I believe that there is a coordinated aid. What we are trying to do is to ba- fecal streptococci. effort already underway. If it is not sically get at children whose families As a result of these findings the fol- enough, it will be made enough. But I have an income between 100 and 300 lowing efforts have been initiated, and think it is significant, and I wanted percent of poverty. So we are going be- I think they are significant: people to understand that no one is yond Medicaid to working families who First of all, the Potomac Headwater taking this problem lightly in West still cannot afford health insurance for Land Treatment project. This is a very Virginia, that indeed working with the their kids but are making more than significant program initiated just a few poultry industry, working with the the poverty level. months ago in which there is a cost poultry producers, those who own the The last thing I wanted to mention, share program funded under the U.S. houses, those who are raising the poul- Mr. Speaker, is that we do have a com- Department of Agriculture's watershed try, working with the economic devel- ponent in our Democratic proposal for program to assist poultry and livestock opment concerns and working with en- private health insurance reforms. This producers in developing a nutrient vironmentalists, we are addressing this consists of requiring insurers to offer management plan and directing them problem and indeed making every ef- group-rated children-only policies to build storage facilities. fort to make sure that the Potomac is thereby makingÐwhat we are essen- Poultry litter composting dem- safe, every part of the Potomac. tially doing, Mr. Speaker, if I could onstration project, another similar So we look forward, Mr. Speaker, to summarize it, is we are trying to say type of effort. reporting back on progress that is that, if a group policy is offered, they One area that I think has great being made. But in light of these re- have to offer kids-only insurance so promise and is already being tested ports that have been issued, I think it that parents basically can say, maybe successfully is the power digest is important that many people in this we cannot afford to buy insurance for project, a project of the West Virginia area understand that significant efforts the whole family but we can afford to Department of Agriculture, formerly are underway to deal in a very mean- buy it for kids.