On the recordMarch 9, 2017
I thank the Senator very much. I will say this briefly and then turn to our colleague from Pennsylvania, who has been such a champion for children. I would say first--again, as I said a moment ago--that, because of Medicaid, because of the healthcare expansion, 97 percent of the children in Michigan now can see a doctor. That means moms who are pregnant and babies, and moms and dads are less likely to be going to bed at night and saying: Please, God, do not let the kids get sick, because they can actually go to a doctor. It reminds me, though, of the other thing happening on the floor and the larger question of the nominee for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In the larger context, I asked her about whether or not maternity care and prenatal care should be covered as a basic healthcare requirement for women. I mean, it is pretty basic for us. She wouldn't answer the question. Essentially, she said women can buy extra if they want it. The new Secretary of Health and Human Services said that we, as women, can buy extra coverage for basic healthcare coverage for us. So it all comes together--Medicaid, the nominee on the floor, and what the House is doing to take away maternity care. It is really just bad news for moms and babies.
