Children's Health And Medicare Protection Act Of 2007

Floor Speech

CHILDREN'S HEALTH AND MEDICARE PROTECTION ACT OF 2007--Continued -- (House of Representatives - August 01, 2007)

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Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, my motion to recommit corrects a Democrat bill that will do great harm to America's seniors and working class. It's also the only chance that the minority's been given in this disappointing process to amend the bill before us today. This is not the House that was promised in November.

My motion to recommit reauthorizes the SCHIP program for 1 year and provides States with the resources they need to be able to continue to provide needed health care coverage for children. The SCHIP program is a good program. It insures mental care is available to children who are needy but who are not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid.

Currently, approximately 6.7 million children receive health care through the SCHIP program, which is broadly supported.

Let there be no doubt, Republicans support SCHIP, because we were instrumental in its creation 10 years ago. We don't support the reckless underlying bill that raises taxes and cuts Medicare by $200 billion, taking health care away from some of our neediest seniors.

The underlying bill is the first step to government-controlled health care and takes America in the wrong direction. It's the most blatant attempt to expand government-run health care we have seen since HillaryCare. It takes a sensible, bipartisan program aimed at helping low-income children and turns it into a monster that will suck millions of middle-class Americans into government-run health care. The bill would create a massive new entitlement with totally inadequate funding. At a time when we already face a $40 trillion unfunded obligation for Medicare and Social Security over the next 75 years, that's the exact opposite of responsible public policy.

The Democrat bill takes SCHIP far beyond what it was intended to do by reversing the existing status that does not allow adults to be enrolled. The Democrats not only allow States to enroll childless adults but also eliminates a requirement for illegal immigrants to wait 5 years before receiving welfare benefits. The Republican motion to recommit continues current law enforcing the 5-year wait.

The bill in its current form also eliminates verification of citizenship status. This means that persons who come here illegally could be provided SCHIP because we don't want to ask the right questions.

Taking benefits from seniors to expand government-run health care to adults and illegal immigrants is unconscionable. Our motion to recommit keeps the 5-year wait for SCHIP. It also maintains the standards to verify citizenship. This motion requires citizenship documentation verification for eligibility for SCHIP and welfare benefits.

While taking care of our children, Republicans also value our seniors and have taken care in providing Medicare benefits. Medicare Advantage is a critical source of comprehensive medical coverage for over 8 million individuals. It provides coverage for seniors, and a recent bipartisan poll this year found that 90 percent of enrollees are satisfied with their Medicare plans.

The underlying bill cuts payments to Medicare Advantage plans and cuts Medicare payments to Medicare providers, including hospitals, nursing homes and home health agencies.

The cuts proposed by the Democrats in Medicare will result in nearly 3.2 million seniors losing their Medicare Advantage coverage. We would be providing coverage for children whose parents make $100,000 a year on the backs of seniors and the Medicare coverage they chose. This would be the largest cut of Medicare in history.

In my district, 17,279 Medicare Advantage enrollees will lose their benefits if the Democrat CHAMP Act passes. This motion to recommit protects our seniors by eliminating the Medicare cuts in the bill.

Perhaps most alarming in this bill is the establishment of a new mandatory tax on private health insurance plans. While Republicans have been trying to level the playing field and eliminate the uninsured, this bill places a tax on health care plans, except those provided by the government.

The Democrat bill raises taxes by $54 billion in an attempt to lure middle-class families to opt out of private coverage by establishing a new mandatory tax on private health insurance plans. Our motion to recommit eliminates the Democrats' new tax on America's health insurance plans.

In addition to eliminating the Medicare cuts in the Democrat bill, the motion to recommit maintains Medicare changes that improve services for Medicare beneficiaries.

These changes will ensure improved service in rural areas, an extension of the therapy cap, special needs plans, and demonstration projects on end stage renal disease services.

I urge my colleagues to vote for this motion to recommit that will protect our seniors, prevent massive tax increases, and reauthorize the current SCHIP program.

If the motion to recommit passes, the House will be able to vote on a bill that protects America's seniors and hard working citizens while also providing health care for our neediest children.

If the motion fails, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against the Democrat CHAMP Act.

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