Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 110 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 110 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 153 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2007 No. 142 House of Representatives The House met at 12:30 p.m. and was tion, and that’s despite fits and starts now seen is a health care clinic in called to order by the Speaker pro tem- with government health and so forth. Johnson Bayou, where the community pore (Ms. HIRONO). It’s the individuals, local officials, fam- came together to put this in place to f ilies on the ground that made the dif- create access for health care. ference. You know, we all talk about how all DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO This storm also caused unprece- politics is local, but I would submit TEMPORE dented damage to the oil and gas indus- that all health care is local. If we don’t The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- try. Again, individuals working in have access to health care, it doesn’t fore the House the following commu- those companies got our oil and gas in- matter. It doesn’t matter what’s avail- nication from the Speaker: frastructure back up and running in able in Boston, Massachusetts, or in record time, so that we could fuel San Francisco and New York, because WASHINGTON, DC, if the folks down in Johnson Bayou September 24, 2007. America’s energy needs. I hereby appoint the Honorable MAZIE K. At the Federal level, funds have been don’t have access to health care, then HIRONO to act as Speaker pro tempore on appropriated for assistance, but they what good is it? What good is the great this day. have been clearly slow to arrive, be- advance in Boston or the wonderful NANCY PELOSI, cause of bureaucracy. This has been an hospitals around the country if folks Speaker of the House of Representatives. ongoing battle that we in Congress can’t even enter into the health care f have had to fight with and local offi- system in their own community? Access is critically important, and MORNING-HOUR DEBATE cials have had to fight with as well. Two weeks ago, I was down there at there are many, many things, many The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- Johnson Bayou, that little town where factors that affect access. I know this firsthand, as a cardiovascular surgeon ant to the order of the House of Janu- they struggled to get their school back. before coming to Congress, that many ary 4, 2007, the Chair will now recog- Actually, private funding allowed the rural communities don’t have access nize Members from lists submitted by school to come back before we could because there aren’t doctors in these the majority and minority leaders for even get Federal funds down there, be- rural communities, or there are no morning-hour debate. cause of the bureaucracy. That took 2 The Chair will alternate recognition clinics in these rural communities. years, but private funds allowed for the We have a severe shortage of physi- between the parties, with each party school to be rebuilt. It was one of the cians nationwide right now, and there limited to 30 minutes and each Mem- first schools to be rebuilt back in Lou- are many reasons we have shortages. I ber, other than the majority and mi- isiana. have asked for a GAO study in the past nority leaders and the minority whip, I was down there 2 weeks ago for a on this and tried to pass an amendment limited to 5 minutes. very special time. We had a ribbon-cut- in the higher education bill last year to The Chair recognizes the gentleman ting for a new health clinic in Johnson look at why we have these shortages. from Louisiana (Mr. BOUSTANY) for 5 Bayou down in Cameron Parish. This Clearly there are a number of factors, minutes. little town did not have a health care and we need to correct those defi- f clinic. It never had one. In fact, fami- ciencies to get a sufficient physician lies had to drive many, many miles on HEALTH CARE workforce to fill our rural commu- small roads or oftentimes had to rely nities and provide access. Mr. BOUSTANY. Madam Speaker, 2 on a ferry to cross a body of water to There are cost issues that limit ac- years ago, on September 24, Hurricane receive health care, and if that ferry cess, cost for families, where they can’t Rita smashed into Louisiana and was down, they were stranded. afford health insurance. There are Texas, making landfall first in my dis- But with the opening of this health costs, actually, reimbursement factors trict at Johnson Bayou in Cameron clinic, for the first time, families at for physicians which do not provide Parish, a small town in southwest Lou- Johnson Bayou now have access to adequate incentives for physicians and isiana. The storm was one of the worst health care. This was very special, be- nurses to be in rural communities. We ever to enter into the Gulf of Mexico, cause a family donated the land for the have a severe shortage of nurses. All causing $11 billion of damage to the clinic. A company actually put up health care is local, and we have to re- area. money, $2 million to build the clinic, member that if we are going to reform Hard-working individuals at the com- and an additional $1 million to fund its the health care system. munity level have had the greatest im- ongoing operations for the next 3 The United States has one of the best pact on our recovery and reconstruc- years. For the first time what we have health care systems in the world, and 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. H10699 . VerDate Aug 31 2005 02:33 Sep 25, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A24SE7.000 H24SEPT1 bajohnson on PRODPC61 with HOUSE H10700 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE September 24, 2007 we spend significantly more on health As a priority, Lord, help us to pray for 1 minute and to revise and extend care than any other nation. Health with sincerity for lawmakers in this her remarks.) care costs have doubled between 1993 Congress and around the world. Their Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, you and 2004, growing to nearly $2 trillion decisions and their indifference has a know, there is quite a bit of disgust annually. ripple effect upon other nations. Guide with what is taking place in New York In addition to this, malpractice pre- them, that Your people everywhere City today with Ahmadinejad at Co- miums have continued to skyrocket. may live in security and flourish with lumbia University. There is disgust Physicians premiums rose 15 percent human ingenuity, both now and for- also with the United Nations. And between 2000 and 2002, and as much as ever. Amen. rightfully so. And we are hearing from 33 percent for some specialties. Many f our constituents about this. physicians are basically retiring early And then to top it off, the New York from their practices because of the se- THE JOURNAL Times, who for 2 weeks denied that vere costs imposed by malpractice pre- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The they gave special price breaks to miums. Chair has examined the Journal of the moveon.org for the liberal group’s ad Some of my Democratic colleagues last day’s proceedings and announces attacking General Petraeus, finally and some of the presidential hopefuls to the House his approval thereof. yesterday through their public editor have lately been advocating a govern- Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Jour- or their ombudsman had to come clean ment-run universal health care pro- nal stands approved. with the truth. gram, saying that this is the only way Yes, indeed, moveon.org should have f we can have universal coverage. But I paid $142,000 for that ad, but somehow will tell you this, and I know this as a PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE it was cut in half. The reduced price physician, that universal coverage does The SPEAKER pro tempore. Will the was a mistake, they said, and they ad- not equate to access. Coverage is one gentleman from Texas (Mr. POE) come mitted they had violated their own ad- thing, but if you don’t have the facili- forward and lead the House in the vertising policy of barring attacks of a ties, you don’t have the physicians, Pledge of Allegiance. personal nature. Two pretty glaring you don’t have the nurses, you don’t Mr. POE led the Pledge of Allegiance mistakes, don’t you think? have the clinic or you can’t afford in- as follows: The Times claims it is not a poster surance, or you can’t find access, it child for the liberal media, but in the I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the doesn’t matter about the coverage. It’s United States of America, and to the Repub- recent admission that sometimes re- access that’s important. lic for which it stands, one nation under God, porters had fabricated stories while Now, one of the things that Congress indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. management cut a deal to a liberal at- is looking at is the SCHIP bill.