Thank you, Congressman Pallone

by: vincent solomeno

Thu Jan 15, 2009 at 10:41:33 AM EST

"The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped."
- Vice President Hubert Humphrey

In Washington, Congressman Frank Pallone (NJ-6) is fighting for the progressive agenda.  On Wednesday the House of Representatives approved, by a 289 to 139 margin, a record expansion of the State Childrens Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).  Capitol Hill watchers expect the bill to easily pass through the Senate and reach President-Elect Obama's desk within days of his inauguration.  In addition to reauthorizing a program that presently covers seven million children, yesterday's expansion will provide four million more with access to basic medical care.

This victory has been long coming.  Both Democrats and a minority of Republicans attempted in the previous Congress to pass similar legislation, only to have their work vetoed twice by a President more interested in providing corporate welfare than extending health care to the children of the poor.  

New Jerseyans should take pride in the knowledge that Congressman Pallone has led the House's efforts toward passage of the expansion.  As Chair of the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, he helped draft the legislation and went to the floor to shepherd it through to final approval.  Pallone's work is consistent with his progressive principles and a reflection of his long held commitment to providing access to health care for all Americans.

The child health bill provides $32 billion to insure a total of 11 million children whose families lack the resources to pay for preventative and emergency care.  Moreover, the legislation removes the discriminatory clause that excluded the children of legal immigrants - first generation Americans - from coverage.

With the economy entering recession, more than 2.6 million people lost their job last year alone - the highest one year loss since 1945.  Experts estimate that for every 1 percent increase in the number of jobless, 1.5 million people lose health coverage.  47 million Americans are uninsured. Sadly, 9 million are children, and according to a recent report, 273,000 of them are from New Jersey.

Thanks in large measure to the work of Congressman Pallone, our country is one step closer to reducing that number.  In doing so, we guarantee access to basic medical care for those who need it the most: our children.

NY Times: House Votes to Expand Children's Health Care

Press Release: House Democrats Introduce Legislation To Expand Health Care Coverage to Millions of Children