MEDIA ADVISORY, Thursday, October 25, 2007
CONTACT: Yoni Cohen, Stark (202) 225-3202

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Pete Stark (D-CA), Chairman of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, today delivered the following remarks on the House floor in support of Congressional legislation to provide health care to 10 million children.

"I rise in strong support of this third version of legislation to improve and extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP). I hope the third time will be the charm.

"Eighty percent of Americans, a strong bipartisan majority in the Senate, nearly every House Democrat, and at last count 45 House Republicans all supported the prior version of S-CHIP.

"President Bush and many of my Republicans in Congress, however, opposed the previous version of this legislation. Supposedly, they opposed it because:

1) It might have enabled states to provide health care to adults;

2) Children in middle-income families might have gotten health care; and

3) Worst of all, undocumented immigrant children might have gotten health care.

"Also, there was a concern by some that we'd run out of money. I haven’t heard that concern about where we’re going to get $1.7 trillion for a war that we’re fighting, but at least they're worried about denying that money for health care.

"The bill before us today answers those criticisms. It should be more acceptable to a few more of my Republican colleagues, perhaps even to the President.

"Their previous concerns have been met and rectified. Those who vote against today’s legislation can only be voting against the government providing health care to poor children who have no other means of obtaining medical care. That’s the only reason left to vote against this, no other way to account for a no vote.

"But I’m most proud of what this bill does NOT do. It doesn’t compromise on covering children. It adds $35 billion in new funding to the S-CHIP program and it provides coverage to 10 million additional children.

"I urge my colleagues to join with me in making the third time a charm – not a strike out -- for America’s children.

"With an even stronger bipartisan vote of support, we might convince President Bush to do right by America's children. Let’s provide him that opportunity and guide him down the path to compassion and humane treatment for all our children."