Frank Pallone: “over 175 Democratic Members have signed a letter to the Republican leadership urging a date certain for floor…”

“over 175 Democratic Members have signed a letter to the Republican leadership urging a date certain for floor consideration of legislation that provides health insurance coverage for the 10 million American kids that do not have it. So far the Republican leadership refuses to address the issue of kids health insurance. Last week many of my Democratic colleagues discussed a recent New York City survey that pointed to the growing numbers of children without health insurance. Today the GOP is supposed to unveil its long-overdue legislative agenda for the 105th Congress. A present view of that agenda published in today's newspapers does not mention kids health insurance. Nor did the Republicans include the issue when they talked about a bipartisan agenda with President Clinton a few weeks ago. I want to assure my colleagues, though, that this issue will not go away because the Democrats will not allow it to. It is a disgrace that 10 million American children, most of whose parents work very hard, do not have health care coverage.”