OFFICE OF THE MAJORITY LEADER

TRANSCRIPT

On the Vote to Override Bush's Veto of Children's Health Insurance
October 18, 2007

I THANK THE GENTLEMAN FOR YIELDING. MR. SPEAKER, THE MOMENT OF TRUTH HAS ARRIVED. AND NOW OUR REPUBLICAN FRIENDS HAVE A VERY CLEAR CHOICE THAT THEY MUST MAKE. THEY CAN STAND WITH 10 MILLION AMERICAN KIDS WHO NEED, DESERVE, AND CURRENTLY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR HEALTH SHURNS -- INSURANCE UNDER THE CHIP PROGRAM. THEY CAN STAND WITH THE BIPARTISAN MAJORITIES IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE WHO SUPPORTED COMPROMISED LEGISLATION TO RE-AUTHORIZE CHIP, INCLUDING 18 REPUBLICAN SENATORS AND 45 HOUSE REPUBLICANS. THEY CAN STAND WITH THE STATES' GOVERNORS, THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, THE ASSOCIATION OF HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS, PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES, NURSES, CHILDREN'S ADVOCATES. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, MOST IMPORTANTLY, THEY CAN STAND WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. 81% OF WHOM SUPPORT EXPANDING THE CHIP PROGRAM TO COVER MORE LOW-INCOME CHILDREN, ACCORDING TO A JUST-RELEASED CBS NEWS POLL. THIS POLL, OF COURSE, WAS TAKEN LONG AFTER THE AMERICAN PEOPLE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THE TERMS OF THIS BILL ARE ALL ABOUT. 81%. INCLUDING A LARGE OVER 2/3 MAJORITY OF INDEPENDENTS, AND INCLUDING OVER 60% OF THE REPUBLICANS POLLED BELIEVE WE OUGHT TO MOVE FORWARD ON THIS BILL. MORE, MR. SPEAKER, HOUSE REPUBLICANS CAN CHOOSE TO STAND WITH PRESIDENT BUSH, WHO EARLIER THIS MONTH BROKE HIS OWN CAMPAIGN PROMISE TO EXTEND INSURANCE COVERAGE UNDER CHIP TO MILLIONS OF ADDITIONAL LOW-INCOME AMERICAN CHILDREN, LOW-INCOME AMERICAN CHILDREN. THEY CAN STAND A, THEY CAN CHOOSE TO STAND WITH PRESIDENT BUSH WHO CONTINUES TO MAKE INACCURATE AND MISLEADING CLAIMS ABOUT THE BIPARTISAN BILL THAT HE'S VETOED, CLAIMS THAT HAVE BEEN REPUTIATED BY SENATORS HATCH, GRASSLEY, ROBERTS, AND MANY OTHER REPUBLICANS. LET ME REMIND MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES WHO I BELIEVE WANT TO HELP CHILDREN, AS THE GENTLEMAN WHO PRECEDED ME SAID. HERE'S WHAT PRESIDENT BUSH TOLD THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THREE YEARS AGO WHEN HE WAS SEEKING THEIR VOTES FOR RE-ELECTION AT THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION. AND I AM QUOTING NOW THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES 2004 SEEKING RE-ELECTION, PROMISING WHAT HE WOULD DO. QUOTE, IN A NEW TERM, WE WILL LEAD AN AGGRESSIVE EFFORT TO ENROLL MILLIONS OF CHILDREN WHO ARE ELIGIBLE BUT NOT SIGNED UP FOR GOVERNMENT HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAMS. WE WILL NOT ALLOW A LACK OF ATTENTION OR INFORMATION TO STAND BETWEEN THESE CHILDREN AND THE HEALTH CARE THEY NEED. THAT IS WHAT PRESIDENT BUSH SAID IN 2004 WHEN HE WAS SEEKING THE VOTES OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FOR RE-ELECTION. YET THE PRESIDENT'S OWN PROPOSAL THAT HE HAS MADE THIS YEAR WOULD FORCE NEARLY ONE MILLION CHILDREN FROM LOW-INCOME FAMILIES WHO ARE PARTICIPATING IN CHIP TO BE DROPPED FROM THE PRESENT CHIP PROGRAM. SO HIS PROPOSAL NOT ONLY DOES NOT ADD THE MILLIONS THAT HE PROMISED TO ADD IN 2004, BUT IT DROPS OVER 830,000 CHILDREN. IN SHARP CONTRAST, MADAM SPEAKER. THROUGH THIS BIPARTISAN COMPROMISE, THIS CONGRESS HAS DONE EXACTLY WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAID HE WOULD DO IF RE-ELECTED. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE HEARD BOTH SIDES OF THIS ISSUE, AND THEY HAVE DISAGREED WITH THE PRESIDENT. THEY STAND WITH AMERICA'S CHILDREN, AND SO MUST THIS CONGRESS. I URGE MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES, AND THE REASON I SAY I URGE MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE VERY FEW, IF ANY DEMOCRATS WHO WILL NOT FOR THE CHILDREN THIS DAY. LOOK AT THE FACTS. LOOK INTO YOUR HEARTS. LOOK BEYOND PARTISANSHIP AND POLITICS. LOOK AT THE PICTURES OF YOUR LOVED ONES BACK IN YOUR OFFICE AND ASK -- WHAT IF THEY WERE THE ONES TODAY WHO NEEDED HEALTH INSURANCE? LUCKILY, OUR CHILDREN ARE COVERED. OUR CHILDREN ARE COVERED. . BUT THINK OF THE MILLIONS OF CHILDREN TO WHOM PRESIDENT BUSH REFERRED TO IN 2004 THAT HE PROMISED TO ADD TO THIS CRITICAL PROGRAM. THIS, I SUGGEST TO ALL OF US, IS A DEFINING MOMENT FOR THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES. WILL WE, AS THE FOUNDING FATHERS, CONTEMPLATE AND EXERCISE THE POLICY MAKING AUTHORITY, OR WILL WE ONCE AGAIN CRUMBLE EXPLICIT IN THE PRESIDENT FAILURE TO RESPOND TO THE VIEWS OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AND TO OUR CHILDREN? MY FRIENDS, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE, LET US COME TOGETHER. LET US COME TOGETHER AND DO THE RIGHT THING FOR OUR CHILDREN AND FOR OUR NATION. LET'S OVERRIDE THE PRESIDENT'S UNJUSTIFIED VETO OF THIS COMPROMISED BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION. LET US ENSURE THAT 10 MILLION LOW-INCOME CHILDREN HAVE THE HEALTH CARE COVERAGE THEY NEED AND DESERVE. THIS WILL NOT BE A PARTISAN VICTORY IF WE OVERRIDE THIS VETO. IT WILL BE A VICTORY FOR OUR CHILDREN AND FOR THE PRESIDENT'S PROMISE. VOTE TO OVERRIDE THIS VETO. VOTE FOR OUR CHILDREN.