Congressional Record—Senate S824
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S824 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 24, 2000 Constabulary have been put forth. adequate health care services for uninsured trillion surplus to provide people with Cross border institutions have been es- populations, serving over 4,500,000 uninsured health insurance. tablished and are functioning. patients in 1999, including over 1,000,000 new The third thing these plans have in They must abide by their obligations uninsured patients who have sought care common—and perhaps the most impor- from such centers in the last 3 years; as well. Mr. President, Sinn Fein and Whereas health centers care for nearly tant thing—is that they probably have the IRA must understand that if they 7,000,000 minorities, nearly 600,000 farm- little chance of becoming law this do not, they will not have the support workers, and more than 500,000 homeless in- year. Whether because of policy dif- of the United States. dividuals each year; ferences or political differences, it’s Today I am offering a resolution Whereas health centers provide cost-effec- just not likely that they will pass. stressing the importance of decommis- tive comprehensive primary and preventive So today, we’re launching a bipar- sioning to the success of the peace in care to uninsured individuals for less than tisan effort—called the REACH Initia- Northern Ireland and calling on the $1.00 per day, or $350 annually, and help to tive—that does have a chance this reduce the inappropriate use of costly emer- year. There’s no need to wait for an IRA to commit to the process and to gency rooms and inpatient hospital care; offer a timetable as to when they will Whereas current resources only allow election—we can do it now. turn in their arms and explosives. And health centers to serve 10 percent of the Na- Our proposal builds on the crucial although the loyalist paramilitary or- tion’s 44,000,000 uninsured individuals; work that organizations known as ganizations have significantly fewer Whereas past investments to increase community health centers have been weapons in their possession, they must health center access have resulted in better doing to ensure better access to health fulfill their promise to disarm as well. health, an improved quality of life for all care. Health centers are private non- The two main loyalist paramilitaries Americans, and a reduction in national profit clinics that provide primary care health care expenditures; and and preventive health care services in have stated that they will disarm when Whereas Congress can act now to increase the IRA begins to do so. If the IRA access to health care services for uninsured medically-underserved urban and rural moves on decommissioning, these orga- and low-income people together with or in communities across the country. Par- nizations should respond immediately. advance of health care coverage proposals by tially with the help of federal grants, This is an historic moment in North- expanding the availability of services at health centers provide basic care for ern Ireland—the best chance for peace community, migrant, homeless, and public about 11 million people every year, 4 in a quarter of a century. Let us not housing health centers: Now, therefore, be it million of whom are uninsured. waste it. We must encourage those who Resolved, The goal of the REACH Initiative is are working for peace. But more impor- SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. simple—to make sure more people have tantly, we must make clear to those This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Reso- access to health care. We plan to lution to Expand Access to Community achieve this by doubling federal fund- who want to destroy this opportunity Health Centers (REACH) Initiative’’. by clinging to old and violent means, ing for community health centers over SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE SENATE. a period of five years. We believe this they can not succeed. It is the sense of the Senate that appro- will allow up to 10 million more f priations for consolidated health centers under section 330 of the Public Health Serv- women, children, and others in need to SENATE RESOLUTION 260—TO EX- ice Act (42 U.S.C. 254b) should be increased receive care at health centers. If we are PRESS THE SENSE OF THE SEN- by 100 percent over the next 5 fiscal years in successful with the REACH Initiative, ATE THAT THE FEDERAL IN- order to double the number of individuals we can practically double the number VESTMENT IN PROGRAMS THAT who receive health care services at commu- of uninsured and underinsured people PROVIDE HEALTH CARE SERV- nity, migrant, homeless, and public housing that health centers care for. ICES TO UNINSURED AND LOW- health centers. The REACH Initiative basically rec- INCOME INDIVIDUALS IN MEDI- Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I rise ognizes the key contributions that CALLY UNDER SERVED AREAS today to talk about the hot topic in community health centers have al- BE INCREASED IN ORDER TO the world of health care—health care ready made in addressing the health DOUBLE ACCESS TO CARE OVER access. Many people see this as the big- care access problems. But there is so THE NEXT 5 YEARS gest problem in health care today. much more that can still be done. Part of the problem, and the part Mr. BOND (for himself, Mr. HOL- Now, out of all the ways we can ad- that has received the most attention, LINGS, Mr. COCHRAN, Mr. DASCHLE, Mr. dress health care access problems, why is that too many Americans lack HATCH, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. HUTCHINSON, are health centers a good solution and health insurance—about 44 million Mr. BREAUX, Mr. DEWINE, Mrs. LIN- a worthwhile target for additional Americans aren’t covered by any type COLN, Mrs. MURRAY, and Mr. INOUYE) funding? submitted the following resolution; of health plan. But an equally serious 1. Health centers are an existing pro- which was referred to the Committee part of the problem is many people’s gram that produces results. Too many on Appropriations: simple inability to get access to a health care proposals want to prac- health care provider. Even if they have tically start from scratch, and make S. RES. 260 insurance, a young couple with a sick breathtakingly revolutionary changes. Whereas the uninsured population in the child is out of luck if they can’t get in When I look at the health system and United States continues to grow at over to see a pediatrician or another health 100,000 individuals per month, and is esti- its admittedly huge problems, I some- mated to reach over 53,000,000 people by 2007; care provider. And in too many urban times think that might not be a bad Whereas the growth in the uninsured popu- and rural communities across the idea. But it’s also extremely risky. We lation continues despite public and private country, there just aren’t enough doc- need to remember that despite the efforts to increase health insurance cov- tors to go around. many flaws in our health system, many erage; Several plans have been proposed re- people are pleased with it. We should Whereas nearly 80 percent of the uninsured cently on how to deal with the health be wary about making too radical population are members of working families care access problem. Senator Bradley changes that could interfere with who cannot afford health insurance or can- has a plan. The Vice President has one. not access employer-provided health insur- what’s right in our system. Instead, we ance plans; There’s also a bipartisan proposal for can expand an existing part of the sys- Whereas minority populations, rural resi- tax credits to help people buy health tem that’s been proven to provide cost- dents, and single-parent families represent a insurance. All of these plans have at effective, high-quality care. disproportionate number of the uninsured least 3 things in common. 2. Health centers play a crucial role population; First, they all address a worthwhile in health care, and are vastly under- Whereas the problem of health care access goal. I think we all want to see that appreciated. It’s amazing to me how for the uninsured population is compounded people have access to good health care, few people are aware of the types of in many urban and rural communities by a even if we might disagree on how to get services community health centers lack of providers who are available to serve both insured and uninsured populations; there. provide, and just how prominent they Whereas community, migrant, homeless, Second, they’re all very ambitious. are in health care. After all, health and public housing health centers have prov- Senator Bradley in fact is basically centers care for close to one out of very en uniquely qualified to address the lack of proposing to use close to the entire $1 20 Americans, one out of every 12 rural VerDate Mar 15 2010 23:31 Dec 04, 2013 Jkt 081600 PO 00000 Frm 00070 Fmt 4637 Sfmt 0634 E:\2000SENATE\S24FE0.REC S24FE0 mmaher on DSKCGSP4G1 with SOCIALSECURITY February 24, 2000 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S825 residents, one out of every 6 low-in- munized to protect her from a variety denounced Moscow’s handling of Babitsky as come children, and one of every 5 ba- of dreaded diseases. a violation of Russian law and international bies born to low-income families. These individuals, and millions more law and stated that the situation sur- 3. Health centers truly target the like them, are the reasons why we rounding Babitsky signals ‘‘that the same must make the goal of the REACH Ini- thing may happen to every reporter’’; health care access problem.