Bill Pascrell: “we could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its way through Congress. This year, 6 million children…”

“we could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its way through Congress. This year, 6 million children will have access to quality affordable health insurance because of the program we know as the SCHIP. These children are in working families with parents who either can't afford insurance or hold jobs that lack health care benefits. We have an opportunity today. In New Jersey, we have over 100,000 of eligible kids who aren't enrolled in New Jersey alone. Are we going to do the same thing on health care that we did to those kids in Head Start? So many eligible, not enough resources, wrongheaded priorities? Contrary to what my friends on the other side said, the Ways and Means Committee has also worked to protect the integrity and solvency of Medicare and to approve the benefits for all beneficiaries within this bill. The fully paid for CHAMP Act protects Medicare from privatization, promotes fiscal responsibility, you have got to read the bill, by reducing overpayments to private plans. I see nothing wrong with that. Adding 3 years to the Medicare trust fund solvency, I think that is a home run. Limiting premium increases, two home runs, and improving access and benefits for all Medicare participants. Mr. Speaker, this bill needs everyone's support in here. It should be and will be bipartisan.”