Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 106 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 106 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 145 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1999 No. 119 House of Representatives The House met at 9 a.m. half of the Nation's uninsured children, Vice President has proposed. Instead of f and we must not forget the other half. expanding the program to include Mr. Speaker, last week Vice Presi- MORNING HOUR DEBATES those at 250 percent of poverty, my bill dent GORE brought renewed attention will follow New Jersey's example and The SPEAKER. Pursuant to the to this issue, reminding everyone that expand it to families at 350 percent of order of the House of January 19, 1999, the job is not done. In Los Angeles, he poverty. States that elect to increase the Chair will now recognize Members announced a plan he will be pursuing the eligibility level to 350 percent from lists submitted by the majority to make health insurance available to would receive increased Federal funds and minority leaders for morning hour every child in the country by the year to help meet the costs. debates. The Chair will alternate rec- 2005. ognition between the parties, with each I think it is important to note that In addition, my bill will include two party limited to not to exceed 30 min- the Vice President's observation that provisions to help boost enrollment in utes, and each Member except the ma- the State health insurance program the program. The first will provide in- jority leader, the minority leader or needs to be expanded is a view shared centives for States to pass laws by a the minority whip limited to not to ex- by many, if not every State in the date certain to authorize hospitals to ceed 5 minutes each, but in no event country. A number of States have al- enroll on the spot eligible children who shall debate continue beyond 9:50 a.m. ready taken voluntary action to go be- have been brought into the hospital for The Chair recognizes the gentleman yond the terms of their partnership care. from New Jersey (Mr. PALLONE) for 5 with the Federal Government to make minutes. their child health insurance programs The second measure would create an f accessible to as many children as pos- incentive for States to pass laws to fa- sible. cilitate the recruitment of eligible CHILD HEALTH INSURANCE In my home State of New Jersey, for children who are not enrolled in the LEGISLATION example, the income eligibility thresh- program. Like the measure in the New Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I am old for participation in the program Jersey State Senate after which it is pleased to announce this morning that has been raised from 200 percent to 350 modeled, this provision will provide a I will soon be introducing legislation to percent of the poverty level. That financial incentive for schools, day expand access to health insurance for means in New Jersey a family of four care centers, and health clinics to re- children. with an income of about $57,500 would cruit and enroll eligible children in 1 About 2 ¤2 years ago, Congress passed be eligible to participate in the pro- State health insurance programs. the State Child Health Insurance Pro- gram. gram as part of the Balanced Budget The State legislature in New Jersey Mr. Speaker, these measures will go Act. That program established a part- has also passed a number of bills that a long way towards helping more of the nership between the States and the would expand access and improve out- families who the program was intended Federal Government, with the mission reach, which has been a significant im- to help who have so far been over- of making health insurance accessible pediment for signing up eligible chil- looked. Time has shown that while the to 5 million of the Nation's estimated dren in many of the States. kids program, the kids care program, 10 million uninsured children. The tar- Mr. Speaker, the Vice President and has been successful, it will not be get population of that program was and the States have it right. We must pass enough to insure all of America's unin- remains parents who make too much to a program to cover every child in the sured children if the Federal Govern- qualify for Medicaid but not enough to country, not just half the children. To ment fails to expand the program. buy policies in the expensive individual that end, I will soon be introducing my I look forward to collaborating with market. own bill to further the momentum cre- The program has been, by and large, ated by the States and the Vice Presi- the Vice President to fashion a pro- a success. A significant number of chil- dent to address this vital national gram that achieves our common goals. dren who would otherwise not have need. I hope all of my colleagues will join me health insurance now have that insur- Like the Vice President's plan, my in supporting a renewed effort to finish ance. As successful as that program bill will expand the CHIP program to the job we started in 1997 so every fam- has been, there is still, though, a con- children beyond those in families at 200 ily may live with the security of know- siderable way to go. It was, after all, percent of the poverty level. It will, ing that, at a bare minimum, their designed to provide insurance for only however, go a bit further than what the children will be taken care of. 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. H8151 . H8152 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE September 14, 1999 CONGRESS' MOST IMPORTANT some $6 trillion in surpluses, there is Washington (Mr. MCDERMOTT) is recog- TASKS: TO BALANCE THE BUDG- going to be momentum built to spend nized during morning hour debates for ET AND PAY DOWN THE DEBT money. I think we need to give an ac- 5 minutes. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. curate picture of where we are at fis- Mr. MCDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, BALLENGER). Under the Speaker's an- cally. there are some times when we pick up nounced policy of January 19, 1999, the Paying down the debt is the best the paper and we cannot believe what gentleman from Washington (Mr. thing we can do for this country. It can we are reading. I am looking at the SMITH) is recognized during morning reduce interest rates, which will help Washington Post. The article is called: hour debates for 5 minutes. business and individuals alike. All we GOP Seeks to Ease Crunch With a 13- Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. need is the discipline to do it. month Fiscal Year. Speaker, as I went around my district What I am asking in the next couple I came over to this floor because I during the August recess and listened of months is that we actually do some- want to put my name on record right to my constituents about what their thing historic and change the culture here and now against this. I will tell primary concerns were, I heard the of this place. For too long people have the Members why. This is deja vu, for same statement, the same issue, over looked to Congresspeople, or me. I was in the Washington State leg- and over again in different forms but Congresspeople have thought this, any- islature in 1972 when they did what we with the same message. That is that way, and thought, the way I please my call the light bulb snatch. We took the the single most important thing the constituents is by passing out some- first month of the next year and pulled Congress can do is balance the budget thing to them, a program, a check, a it into this year and said, now we have and pay down the debt. tax cut, something. Whereas I think 13 months of money to spend in 12 As we head into September and Octo- the single best thing that a Member of months. That is exactly what some ber, the last 2 months of our session, Congress can give to his or her con- brilliant theorist over in the other that should be our number one pri- stituents is a fiscally responsible, effi- body has conceived of as a way of ority. The budget is on the table. It is cient government. avoiding being honest about this budg- up for us to negotiate it and figure out Let us make that the standard by et. what we ought to do with it. But the which we judge our Members of Con- What happened in the State of Wash- top priority in that process ought to be gress. Let us not do it program by pro- ington was that ultimately we lost our balancing the budget and paying down gram, check by check. Let us do it by bond rating, and when I became chair- the debt. the overall competence with which we man of the Committee on Ways and We have an incredible opportunity to run our government. Means in 1983, I had to raise taxes to do this. When we think about where we I will tell the Members, after having pay off this 13-month so we could get were 5 or 6 years ago, the fact that talked to my district and listened to our bond rating back.