Kathy Castor: “Families are working hard to make ends meet, but they are coming up short when it comes to health care. I would…”

“Families are working hard to make ends meet, but they are coming up short when it comes to health care. I would especially like to thank Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who never gave up and kept her promise that in the first few days of a new Congress with a new President the health of America's kids and the pocketbooks of hardworking American families would be paramount. Suffering through President Bush's opposition over the past years has been very costly and we have lost ground. In Florida alone, over 800,000 children lack health insurance, and that's the second highest rate in the U.S. It's more than the population of some States and it is growing. The lack of affordable health care for these working families is making it more expensive for everyone. This bill makes it easier for parents by eliminating costly bureaucratic red tape. When more kids visit a doctor's office for medical care, we also reduce the strain on crowded local emergency rooms and cost of health care for everyone.”