Frank Pallone: “Madam Speaker, when this Congress was first gaveled into session by Speaker Pelosi, she declared it the Children's…”

“Madam Speaker, when this Congress was first gaveled into session by Speaker Pelosi, she declared it the Children's Congress. With that in mind, we set out to enact an ambitious agenda that included legislation to provide health care to 10 million low-income American children. But we were forced to go it alone. Instead of working with us, the President and his Republican foot soldiers in Congress chose to fight us tooth and nail. We were not deterred by the President or the opposition that we faced from congressional Republicans. Earlier this summer, the House passed the CHAMP Act, which would have strengthened the Children's Health Insurance Program, CHIP, and helped secure health care coverage for 10 million American children, 4 million of which are presently uninsured and come from hardworking families. The CHAMP Act also included dramatic improvements for beneficiaries and providers under Medicare, which, if enacted, would have put the program on a more stable financial footing and ensured that seniors have access to the medical care they need and deserve.”