Lois Capps: “I do want to acknowledge the gentlelady in the chair as my partner in the Capps-Emerson lectures and as my neighbor and…”

“I do want to acknowledge the gentlelady in the chair as my partner in the Capps-Emerson lectures and as my neighbor and a real friend. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act. This is an important bill to improve the health outcomes of pregnant women and their babies, and it shows our Nation's commitment to addressing the costly and emotionally troubling incidence of preterm birth. While this is enough reason for me to support this legislation, I would like to highlight two additional sections of the bill that will improve the health and well-being not only of newborns but of our children as they grow. First, it includes the reauthorization of the Children's Hospital Graduate Medical Education program. This is a critical investment in both the health of our kids and in the health of our economy by bringing new, talented individuals into the health care workforce. From my years as a school nurse, I know the difficulty that children experience, especially those with special health care needs, when they look for a pediatric specialist. Over the years, we have seen how CHGME programs have made a measurable impact in alleviating that burden, allowing these children and their families to focus on healing. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this legislation and will continue to champion it in the House.…”