SBHC Champions New Congressional Leaders

With the balance of power tipped toward School-Based Primary Care has had several Congressional Democrats, school health care informational meetings with Towns’ office. providers and advocates may rightly wonder if the time is nigh for Congress-come-lately to join Medicaid and SCHIP Policy. Public health the long list of governors, legislatures and local insurance (authorized in the Social Security Act) policy makers who have invested public will be under the Congressional watch of the resources in school health centers. Since the Senate Finance’s subcommittee on Health Care, National Assembly’s beginnings in 1995, led by Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (WV). Republicans have controlled the US House of Rockefeller’s counterpart in the House is Ways Representatives. Until November 8, the House and Means Committee chair Charles Rangel Energy and Commerce committee was not a (NY). SBHC advocates have been warmly particularly friendly environment for advancing received in both these legislators’ offices. progressive children’s health policies, to say nothing of school health centers. Conservative Appropriations. A SBHC program authorization committee leaders who tightly controlled the is an important foundation for future policy – health agenda weren’t interested in our especially for establishing a long-term seemingly nonpartisan solution for eliminating appropriation. Key House Democratic health access inequities and giving children a appropriators for health and human services greater chance for good health and school include Rep. Steny Hoyer (MD), current minority success. whip and possible party leader in the next Congress, who was the chief architect of the Suddenly, (and amazingly) the prospects of federal SBHC earmark, Healthy Schools Healthy federal support for school health care are Communities – a program dismantled by the brighter. Congressional Democratic leaders who Bush administration. Rep. Nita Lowey (NY) is easily could be described as school health also a well regarded women’s and children’s champions will soon find themselves well advocate. Senators Byrd (WV) and Harkin (IA) positioned to flex a little political muscle on behalf will be heading the appropriations committees on of NASBHC for an amply funded school health the Senate side. center program authorization. The opportunities for this Democratic Congress Health Care Access Policy. Chief leaders in to address critical child health, safety, and the U.S. House and Senate who will determine if education issues are numerous. Three major and when any school-based health center pieces of legislation likely to be on the docket for legislative action occurs are well regarded the 110th Congress are the State Child Health children and youth advocates. Rep. John Dingell Insurance Program (SCHIP), the federal (MI) will chair the House Energy and Commerce education policy centerpiece, No Child Left Committee. Rep. Dingell was one of four Behind, and the community health center sponsors of last year’s SBHC earmark campaign. program re-authorization. All provide a critical He has spoken repeatedly on his support for window for raising the visibility and - much more school health centers and Michigan advocates importantly – advancing our goal of a federally have developed a positive relationship with his sponsored school health center program. DC staff. His counterpart in the Senate (Health, Education, Labor and Pension) is Senator Ted With NASBHC’s nearly exclusive focus on Kennedy (MA), who has already signed on to the Republican targets this past year, our initially SBHC authorization proposal. successful efforts to secure champions for SBHCs in both parties may serve us well as we High ranking Democrats in the subcommittees look to broaden our centrist coalition of most likely to give an audience to any SBHC Democrats and Republicans who understand that legislation are Rep. Edolphus Towns (NY) in the Americans want their children in schools healthy, House and Sen. Chris Dodd (CT) in the Senate. safe, and achieving. Sen. Dodd has agreed to sponsor authorizing legislation in the new Congress and previously There’s widespread agreement that the election sponsored a bill authorizing state-based technical results require a Congressional shift toward the assistance organizations intended to support political center. With our continued advocacy state SBHC associations. The bill passed in the and bi-partisan supporters, we can help this new Senate, but was rejected by the Republican Congress shift toward another center: school House leaders. Rep. Towns is no stranger to health center, that is. school health centers – and advocates are no stranger to Towns. The New York Coalition of John Schlitt, Executive Director, NASBHC

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