It is time that our health care system joins the 21st Century, moving to electronic medical records and away from paper-based records. I recently introduced bipartisan legislation, H.R. 2991, that would establish a modern, market-driven nationwide health information technology (HIT) network by providing for the creation of non-profit health record trusts. A study by the RAND Corporation found adoption of a nationwide HIT network could result in annual savings of $162 billion by reducing medical errors, increasing efficiency, and preventing and managing chronic diseases. My legislation would also guarantee customers confidentiality, privacy, and complete control of their entire medical health record.

America has always led the world in medical research and innovation. I will continue to support increased funding for the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, and other medical research institutions to enable American scientists to continue to discover life-saving cures and advancements in care that improve the length and quality of life for millions.

We know that a healthy start in life, early detection of illness and disease, and preventive care reduce costly trips to the emergency room and can bring down the skyrocketing costs of treating chronic disease. That is why I will continue to support measures like H.R. 1132, which was signed into law in April 2007, to ensure that women have access to screening for both breast and cervical cancer. I also was proud to support the recent reauthorization and expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) to provide health insurance coverage for 11 million uninsured children from low income families.

Due to the ability of stem cells to transform into other cell types, stem cell research and study has the potential of finding ways to repair the damaging side effects of various medical treatments, produce great amounts of one cell type to test new drugs, develop treatments for diseases like Parkinson's and diabetes through transplant, and provide information about the causes and origins of birth defects and abnormalities. Unfortunately, many more years of biological and clinical research are needed before the possibility of this potential can be realized.

I have consistently supported expanding stem cell research because I believe that the potential human health and scientific benefits of stem cell research are staggering in their promise. Federal support of stem cell research will allow American scientists to harness this groundbreaking technology and save many lives and ensure that human cloning is banned. In addition, the oversight which will come with broad federal support will result in better and more ethically controlled research in the field than if funding was from private sources alone.

When you buy more of something, you ought to pay less. But that is not how things work when the federal government buys prescription drugs on behalf of 43 million Medicare beneficiaries. That is why I introduced legislation, and supported H.R. 4, recently passed with bipartisan support in the House, to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate a group discount on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries - just as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs does for our nation’s veterans.

Together, Medicaid and SCHIP provide otherwise uninsured children and their families regular health exams, preventive screenings, and other essential health care services. Despite the success of these programs, lack of funding has prevented SCHIP from enrolling millions of children who would otherwise be eligible.

I’m disappointed in the President’s decision to veto bipartisan legislation to reauthorize and extend the SCHIP program, making it stronger and more efficient to ensure that we provide health care to those children living in poverty who need our help the most. By not reauthorizing this important program, we’re putting the health of millions of children at risk. That’s simply not a risk I’m willing to take, which is why I voted several times to override the President’s veto.