OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Providing for Consideration of H.R. 3963, Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007

Date: Oct. 25, 2007
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Health and Health Care


PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 3963, CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2007 -- (House of Representatives - October 25, 2007)

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Mr. WELDON of Florida. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

As a physician who practiced medicine for many years prior to coming to the House, I dealt with the issue of the uninsured on a daily basis. Indeed, I used to see it regularly, up close and personal. And certainly I think it is a noble endeavor for this body to try to address this issue.

But I would have to say I think it is really shameful and disgraceful the way the majority has proceeded in this whole process. The first time they brought the bill forward they gave it to us at the 11th hour with no opportunity to amend it. They did it the second time. They did it the third time now. Never, as I understand it, sitting down and seriously trying to discuss this issue with the President. The President needs to sign it.

And people keep coming to the floor and saying we need to do this for the children. What about the children who have to pay for this? I mean, let's talk about all of the children. The way this bill is crafted, the nonpartisan CBO has estimated it will migrate 2 million kids in middle-class families who currently have insurance onto the government payroll. And, jeepers, we can't afford Social Security. We are told that that is going to be insolvent. We can't afford Medicare. Under the current Medicare formula, doctors in this country are supposed to get a 10 percent cut in reimbursement. And now we are going to expand this program.

And the other thing I just want to point out, we are really creating a new entitlement. And one of the very reasons I came here is that this body year after year was creating entitlements that it didn't have the ability to pay for. And all I can say is here we go again. We are expanding this program, we are making it like an entitlement, and we are saying over and over again we are doing it for the children.

What about the tens of millions of children, the hundreds of millions who are going to have to clean up this mess?

I am against this rule. I am against this bill. I'm going to vote against it again.

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