Debbie Dingell: “I rise with considerable regret, and I want to speak with affection and respect for my good friend and colleague from…”

“I rise with considerable regret, and I want to speak with affection and respect for my good friend and colleague from Texas (Mr. Barton), the senior member of the Republicans on the Committee on Energy and Commerce. He complained about the process in the Committee on Energy and Commerce. I would like the House and this committee to know that he was afforded, first of all, every bit of notice that is required by the rules of the House, that the proceedings which were conducted in that committee were conducted in an eminently fair and proper way in full accord with the rules and the proprieties of the House. I would also like him to know that I am sure he can recall that we sought his counsel as to how it was we could put something together which, in fact, would give him a process which would enable us to address the problem of SCHIP. I would like to remind him and this committee that SCHIP is going to expire on the 30th of September. That is an important date because at which time we are going to find that all of the kids, 6 million of them, who have coverage under SCHIP will lose that coverage if something is not done by the Congress of the United States.”