SCHIP -- (House of Representatives - October 23, 2007)
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(Mr. BOUSTANY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
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Mr. BOUSTANY. Madam Speaker, SCHIP continues to be used as a political game by Washington liberals. Sensible, effective compromise does exist to bring meaningful bipartisan support for this necessary program.
The Kids First bill, of which I am a cosponsor, adds 1.3 million new children to the SCHIP program by 2012. It encourages the States to move children to private coverage. Kids First provides $14 billion in new SCHIP allotments, and it includes $400 million in grants for outreach and enrollment. This is a sensible approach.
I support SCHIP, and I am committed to ensuring that it is a successful program that helps children who need it and the children for whom it was really intended, those who are in poverty. It makes SCHIP a program for those whom it was intended for.
I thank my colleagues, Representatives Camp and Hulshof, for their work on this bill. I ask my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to join us in this compromise approach to help put our poor children first.