Stephanie Tubbs Jones: “SCHIP, one of the best ways to deliver health care to America's children. SCHIP, one of the best ways and cost-effective…”

“SCHIP, one of the best ways to deliver health care to America's children. SCHIP, one of the best ways and cost-effective ways to deliver health care. You know, I was stunned when I heard President Bush tell the people of America, well, these children have health care already; all they have to do is go to an emergency room. I don't know how many of you had the opportunity, just very recently, to see the news show talking about how the emergency rooms in this country are overladen and overburdened by so many people coming into emergency rooms across the country. In my efforts of obtaining earmarks over the past 4 years in my congressional district, I have sought money for improving the emergency rooms in several hospitals in my congressional district. I've been in the emergency room. I've been there, and the pictures show it, where there are people laying on gurneys in the hallways because there are not enough private spaces for them to use. There are children, seniors, people of all ages in these hospitals and using the emergency room as their primary care. Emergency rooms were created just for that, emergencies, not for the delivery of ongoing preventative care. And the only way that we can make sure that our children are more healthy, the only way that we can ensure that children who are being educated, they have to be healthy in order to get a good lesson.”