Health Care Safety Net Act of 2008

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Sutton) for the time, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Today, the House is set to consider H.R. 3021, the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act. This bill will direct the Secretary of Education to make grants and loans to local educational agencies for the construction, modernization or repair of public educational facilities. It also would require the funds to be used only for projects that meet certain green standards such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Energy Star, or an equivalent State or local standard.

Tomorrow, we are scheduled to consider H.R. 5540, to reauthorize the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Water Trails Network.

I spent last week, Mr. Speaker, meeting and speaking with constituents in my district about the issues that matter to them, and no one mentioned anything closely related to these two bills. Both of these bills may be important in their own right, but I believe there are other issues that are much more pressing, issues we should be debating.

When Americans are paying $4 a gallon for gasoline, we should be working on legislation to lower the cost of gasoline, increasing domestic energy exploration, reducing our reliance on unstable foreign energy.

France produces over 80 percent of its electricity from nuclear power, and there's a strong environmental movement in France. And yet the United States hasn't built a nuclear power plant in 30 years.

When our military forces are running out of personnel, operation and maintenance funds, we should be working to bring bipartisan legislation to the President's desk that he can quickly sign and fund the troops.

When the intelligence community is stripped of one of their key tools in the fight against international terrorism because the majority let the Protect America Act expire, we should be working to give our intelligence officials the tools they need to stop terrorist attacks.

Instead, the majority has decided to work on a green schools bill and a water trails network reauthorization. These are not exactly the pressing issues facing Americans every day. These are not the issues our constituents want us working on today.

One of the central tenets of the Democrats' campaign in 2006, Mr. Speaker, was that they would run Congress in a more open and bipartisan manner. On December 6, 2006, the distinguished Speaker, Ms. Pelosi, reiterated her campaign promise. She said, ``we promised the American people that we would have the most honest and open government, and we will.''

However, that promise has yet to come to fruition as the majority has consistently blocked an open process through the Rules Committee. A prime example of how they've consistently stymied openness and bipartisanship is by the number of open rules that they've allowed in the 110th Congress. We're three-quarters of the way through the 110th Congress, and so far the majority has allowed only one open rule. One open rule, Mr. Speaker, in 18 months.

They had a chance to double to two the open rules last night, but by a party line vote they decided that they would once again use a restrictive rule process in making only four Republican amendments in order. They struck down 15 Republican amendments that had been introduced, including one from the ranking member of the Education and Labor Committee, Mr. McKeon. So much for the open process they promised.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it's my privilege to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings).

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle).

Mr. Speaker, it's my privilege to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished lady from Minnesota (Mrs. Bachmann).

I yield the gentlewoman 1 additional minute.

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished ranking member from California (Mr. McKeon).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Price).

Mr. Speaker, first it's important to set the record straight. Ten years ago, this Congress passed drilling in the ANWR, and it faced a Presidential veto by then- President Clinton, and imagine if it hadn't faced a veto how much of a difference we would have been able to make.

Now we're seeing the consequences of that, as Mr. Price of Georgia pointed out. Effort after effort that we've engaged in to try to increase the production of energy, the supply of energy has been opposed by the other side of the aisle and I think nowhere more dramatically than when we were able to pass legislation to have production in Alaska, and it was vetoed by the last President, a Democratic President.

So these things have to be put on the record, Mr. Speaker, because now with $4 gas the record counts, and the record is of interest to all Americans, and it will be more and more of interest every day.

Mr. Speaker, back on April 24, 2006, just over 2 years ago, now- Speaker Pelosi issued the following statement:

``With skyrocketing gas prices it is clear that the American people can no longer afford the Republican rubber stamp Congress and its failure to stand up to Republican big oil and gas company cronies. Americans are paying $2.91 a gallon on average for regular gasoline, 33 cents higher than last month, and double the price than when President Bush first came into office.''

Mr. Speaker, most Americans would be happy if they were paying $2.91 a gallon today. Yet here we are this week debating bills on green schools and watertrails network instead of working on legislation to reduce the price of gasoline and increase supply. Now, the price of gasoline is at $4 gallon now.

Reinforcing the fact that the majority has yet to confront that issue, just over a month ago the newspaper Investors Business Daily in an editorial said that this Congress ``is possibly the most irresponsible in modern history. This is especially true when it comes to America's dysfunctional energy policy.''

[From Investor's Business Daily, Apr. 29, 2008]

Congress Vs. You

We've said it before, but we'll say it again: This Congress

is possibly the most irresponsible in modern history. This is

especially true when it comes to America's dysfunctional

energy policy.

The media won't call either the House or the Senate on its

failures, for one very obvious reason: They mostly share an

ideology with the Democrats that keeps them from

understanding how free markets and supply and demand really

work. Sad, but true.

So we were happy to hear the president do the job, calling

out Congress for its inaction and ignorance in his wide-

ranging press conference Tuesday.

``Many Americans are understandably anxious about issues

affecting their pocketbook, from gas and food prices to

mortgage and tuition bills,'' Bush said. ``They're looking to

their elected leaders in Congress for action. Unfortunately,

on many of these issues, all they're getting is delay.''

Best of all, Bush didn't let the issue sit with just

generalities. He reeled off a bill of particulars of

congressional energy inaction, including:

Failing to allow drilling in ANWR. We have, as Bush noted,

estimated capacity of a million barrels of oil a day from

this source alone--enough for 27 million gallons of gas and

diesel. But Congress won't touch it, fearful of the clout of

the environmental lobby. As a result, you pay at the pump so

your representative can raise campaign cash.

Refusing to build new refineries. The U.S. hasn't built one

since 1976, yet sanctions at least 15 unique ``boutique''

fuel blends around the nation. So even the slightest problem

at a refinery causes enormous supply problems and price

spikes. Congress has done nothing about this.

Turning its back on nuclear power. It's safe and, with

advances in nuclear reprocessing technology, waste problems

have been minimized. Still, we have just 104 nuclear plants--

the same as a decade ago--producing just 19% of our total

energy. (Many European nations produce 40% or more of their

power with nuclear.) Granted, nuclear power plants are

expensive--about $3 billion each. But they produce energy at

$1.72/kilowatt-hour vs. $2.37 for coal and $6.35 for natural

gas.

Raising taxes on energy producers. This is where a basic

understanding of economics would help: Higher taxes and

needless regulation lead to less production of a commodity.

So by proposing ``windfall'' and other taxes on energy

companies plus tough new rules, Congress makes our energy

situation worse.

These are just a few of Congress' sins of omission--all

while India, China, Eastern Europe and the Middle East add

more than a million barrels of new demand each and every

year. New Energy Department forecasts see world oil demand

growing 40% by 2030, including a 28% increase in the U.S.

Americans who are worried about the direction of their

country, including runaway energy and food prices, should

keep in mind the upcoming election isn't just about choosing

a new president. We'll also pick a new Congress.

The current Congress, led on the House side by a speaker

who promised a ``common sense plan'' to cut energy prices two

years ago, has shown itself to be incompetent and

irresponsible. It doesn't deserve re-election.

Today, I will be asking each of my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the previous question to this rule. If the previous question is defeated, I will amend the rule to make it in order for the House to consider any amendment that would actually do something to reduce gas prices for consumers, such as H.R. 5905, the CARS Act, which would give commuters a tax break on their commuting expenses and require the Speaker of the House to submit a plan to lower gas prices.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of the amendment and extraneous materials immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

I am so pleased that our colleague Dr. Price pointed out on issue after issue, whether it's ANWR exploration or coal-to-liquid or oil shale exploration or refinery increased capacity or on the issue of nuclear power. There is a strong environmental movement in France, but over 80 percent of their electricity is generated from nuclear power. Yet we haven't built a nuclear power plant in this country in over 30 years.

It's time to face the issue of energy independence in this country.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Conaway).

Again, Mr. Speaker, we're asking for a ``no'' vote on the previous question to be able to address the energy issue. If we're ever going to address it, it's time to start doing so with $4 a gallon gasoline.

Members can take a stand against high fuel prices and insist that the energy issue be addressed seriously by voting ``no'' on the previous question. I encourage a ``no'' vote on the previous question.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1234 and ask for its immediate consideration.

For the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart). All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only.

I yield myself such time as I may consume. I also ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 1234.

Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 1234 provides for consideration of H.R. 3021, the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public Facilities Act, under a structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate controlled by the Committee on Education and Labor. The rule makes in order eight amendments which are printed in the Rules Committee report. The rule also provides one motion to recommit, with or without instructions.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today in strong support of H.R. 3021, the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public Schools Facilities Act. This legislation is important and groundbreaking because it simultaneously addresses important issues confronting our Nation in the 21st century, improving our education system, modernizing our buildings and infrastructures to be environmentally sustainable, and creating jobs to grow our economy.

Mr. Speaker, our Nation's school districts are struggling to make essential improvements during these lean economic times. According to recent estimates, America's schools are hundreds of billions of dollars short of the funding needed to ensure that every student attends a high quality facility. Too many parents across this country are forced to drop off their children at schools that are falling apart, schools with leaking roofs and faulty electrical systems, schools with outdated technology which compromises their ability to achieve and succeed.

Our bill provides $33.2 billion over 5 years for schools across the country for projects to modernize, renovate, and repair their facilities. This funding is crucial to improve our schools so that

the students have a healthy and safe environment in which to learn and develop the knowledge and the skills necessary to compete in today's workforce.

H.R. 3021 also addresses disparities in school facilities funding. It directs the Secretary of Education to distribute funds to school districts according to the same need-based formula used under title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act which provides funding for low income school districts. Funding provided in this bill can be used for energy efficiency and technology improvements, asbestos removal and lead abatement, and for ensuring that schools are prepared for emergencies. The funding is provided with few restrictions, which will allow individual schools to satisfy their individual needs.

Renovating schools so that they are environmentally sustainable will provide numerous health and educational benefits for students. Increasing air quality and lighting will enhance our students' ability to focus and learn, while reducing student sick days and improving the health of students with asthma and other respiratory problems.

Green schools also cost about 2 percent less than conventional schools, while providing financial benefits that are 20 times as large, utilizing 33 percent less energy and 32 percent less water than traditional schools.

Enabling students to attend environmentally sustainable schools not only insures a healthy learning environment. It will also naturally facilitate environmental literacy in our youth. This will help our children grow into stewards of our environment and natural resources that we must treasure and preserve for future generations.

Unfortunately, many schools in my district and across the Nation are also forced to address difficult security challenges. For example, Brunswick High School in my district is the largest single-level high school building in Ohio, stretching a quarter of a mile from end to end with 60 entrances. As you can imagine, this presents a formidable security challenge for teachers and administrators.

For these reasons, Congresswoman McCarthy and I have worked to include a provision in the manager's amendment for this legislation that will allow schools to improve building infrastructure to accommodate security measures and security doors.

This bill authorizes $100 million a year through 2013 specifically for public schools in the gulf coast that are still working to rebuild from the devastation that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita wrought three years ago.

Families in the gulf coast are still fighting to recover and to put their lives back together. Mr. Speaker, we must continue to devote extra resources so that those schools and those communities can rebuild.

School modernization is the central purpose of 3021. Equally important and necessary is the essential economic stimulus that this bill will provide by creating more than 100,000 new jobs for American workers who design and build schools, from roofing contractors, construction workers and electricians, to architects and engineers. It's estimated that this bill will result in the creation of nearly 4,000 jobs in my home State of Ohio in 2009 alone.

Mr. Speaker, in these challenging economic times, important and innovative legislation such as this bill will go a long way to creating new opportunities for America's workforce. Passing this bill will enable school districts to upgrade their facilities and lead our Nation's students towards a brighter and healthier future while addressing the job crisis we face today.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this point I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California, the chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, Mr. Miller.

(Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to reserve my time until the gentleman has closed for his side and has yielded back his time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve my time.

I continue to reserve my time.

Mr. Speaker, I want to remind my colleagues who may be listening to this debate that this rule and this bill are about repairing and improving our Nation's schools.

I also want to remind the people at home that, of course, those who are railing now about the effects of energy policy over the past 6 or so or 8 or 10 years were in charge, most of that time with a Republican President, and this is what we get.

So this Congress, of course, is a new majority, and we have taken bold steps to put incentives in place that will lead to historic change and will turn the corner to renewable sources of energy in this country being developed.

We have 30 million acres on which oil drilling can take place right now, and those are just sitting idle. Those on the other side of the aisle don't tell us the whole story when they're talking about these issues.

But I just want to repeat, I want to remind my colleagues who may be listening to this debate, that this rule and this bill is about the very important business of repairing and improving our Nation's schools.

With that, I reserve my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller).

Mr. Speaker, as we lead this country in the 21st century, we must work creatively to form policies that address the intertwining nature of the challenges we face.

I've heard that this isn't important legislation from the other side of the aisle, and that is concerning to me because safe and healthy schools are important. Environmentally sustainable schools are important. Creating 100,000 jobs in this country is important. Acting to instill environmental stewardship in students and our youth is important.

One out of five Americans attends school each day. A 2006 report concluded that, despite significant State and local expenditures on school construction and renovation from 1996 to 2004, there continues to be millions of students in substandard and overcrowded school conditions. This bill will set our 60 million school children on a path to a better education and a healthier future by providing a Federal investment to help renovate, prepare, and modernize thousands of public schools.

I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and on the rule.

I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Ohio (Ms. Sutton) for agreeing to handle this rule on this piece of legislation, and for her strong support of this legislation to provide for green high-performing public schools and the facilities in which our children learn.

This legislation comes along at a time when the record is very clear that in far too many instances our Nation's school buildings are literally crumbling around the students that we send to them every day. They're in desperate need of renovation; they're in desperate need of remodeling; they're in desperate need of modernization, so that our students who attend those schools every day can have a safe learning environment.

Not only will this bill help improve student achievement by providing students and teachers with modern, clean,

safe and healthy learning environment, but it will also give a boost to our economy and help make schools a part of the solution to the global warming crisis.

It is this kind of forward thinking and innovative policy that is needed to strengthen our Nation and help build a brighter future. By addressing a number of key challenges at once, this bill is a clear win for our children, for the workers and for our planet.

I would like to thank my colleagues who were instrumental in drafting this legislation and working on it many years. I want to thank Congressman Ben Chandler, the author of this bill, for the hard work and dedication of moving this legislation through the House.

I would also like to thank Congressman Dale Kildee, the Chair of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education for his work on this bill. Mr. Kildee has been a longtime champion of efforts to improve the physical conditions of our Nation's schools, and he deserves great credit for his leadership in this area.

I also want to thank Congressman Dave Loebsack, who joined the fight the moment he stepped foot into the Congress. Like Mr. Kildee, Mr. Loebsack is a former teacher, and he understands firsthand the difference that a top-notch facility, that a modern facility, that a safe facility, that a clean facility can mean to a child's education. That's the promise of this legislation.

And I would like to recognize the efforts of Congressmen Rush Holt, Charlie Rangel, Bob Etheridge and Congresswoman Darlene Hooley, who is the head of the Green Schools Caucus.

As study after study has told us, we don't have a choice when it comes to rebuilding our schools. We simply won't be able to provide every child with the world-class education they need and deserve unless we're willing to help the States and school districts improve the conditions of these buildings and facilities. It's not a question of if we should modernize and repair our Nation's schools; it's a matter of when. It's simply a decision that we have to make and we can make it today.

Today we have that opportunity to begin this investment, an investment that will yield great results for our children, our economy and our future.

Finally, I want to thank all of the members of the Rules Committee for the consideration of this rule, for the reporting of this rule, and to Chairwoman Slaughter for her diligence in making sure that this rule came to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, Members of the House, it's interesting that my colleagues on the other side railed against this legislation in the name of energy.

It doesn't do a lot of good to pump more energy into these schools, more air conditioning into these schools, more heat into these schools when the schools are such inefficient users of energy. It makes no sense to pump more and more electricity into the schools, to use lighting that's outdated, outmoded, harmful to the learning of these children.

The purpose of this legislation is to take a major institution in our country, our elementary secondary education system, and have the Federal Government lend some support to local efforts that are struggling now, trying to accelerate their programs to cut their energy costs in the running of their schools.

That's what this bill allows us to do. It allows us to put in place as they renovate, as they repair, as they remodel these schools, trying to recover, as all businesses are all across the country, as homeowners are all across the country, to reduce their energy costs. It allows us to partner up with them and to provide some assistance in doing that.

It's rather interesting that all they can talk about on the other side is somehow that they didn't get to go to Alaska. If they'd gone to Alaska, it probably would have made a penny or 2 cents or 3 cents a difference in a gallon of gasoline today.

But the fact of the matter is why would you go to Alaska and put it into cars that are getting 12 and 13 miles a gallon? But you never went to the question of efficiencies. You never went to the question of better automobiles.

We did. The first time in 30 years, this Congress improved the mileage standard for automobiles. Just think if we had done it when George Bush said he wanted it done. Today, it would have been an entire different industry.

But no, you listened to the oil industry and you listened to the automobile industry. Well, listen to them today as the chairman of General Motors has to admit that they didn't see it coming, they didn't see it was going to happen. They laid off 20,000 workers. They shut down four plants making SUVs and trucks. Why are we listening to those people?

If we continue to listen to them, we'll be the only people in the world that are listening to them. They've made one bad business decision, one bad energy decision after another for the last two decades, and it cost them almost 450,000 jobs to the workers. It cost them market share, it cost them productivity, it cost them profit. Now what are they doing? They're trying to play catch-up.

Well, we don't think the school districts in this country should play catch-up like General Motors. We think the school districts in this country ought to have an opportunity to make these facilities more efficient in the use of the energy, more efficient in the conservation of energy so that they can come into the modern age and they can make the changes that all of the studies indicate to us not only will save them energy, not only will make the facilities safer, cleaner and better for the learning environment that these children need, it will also dramatically change the cost of running these school districts.

It's happening, but too many school districts in too many areas don't have sufficient funds. We think the Federal Government ought to put its shoulder to the wheel and help these school districts conserve their energy.

Will the gentleman yield?

What would you prefer that they do, have the schools do nothing when they know that they have a waiver? Every business in America is investing in energy conservation.

This doesn't take anything away from local responsibility.

Mr. President, as the lead Republican sponsor of the Health Care Safety Net Act with the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, HELP, Committee, Senator Kennedy, I am so pleased that the Senate approved this legislation earlier today. Members of the Senate HELP Committee, on both sides of the aisle, worked hard to ensure its passage, and I want to thank, in particular, Senator Ted Kennedy, Senator Mike Enzi, Senator Judd Gregg, Senator Lamar Alexander, Senator Richard Burr, and Senator Coburn for their commitment in getting this legislation through the Senate.

I also want to thank my House colleagues, especially, House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman John Dingell and its ranking Republican member Joe Barton for the leadership on this bill. Additionally, the Health Subcommittee chairman Frank Pallone and its ranking member Nathan Deal, along with Congresswoman Diana DeGette and Congressmen Gene Green and Bart Stupak, were extremely helpful during our negotiations on this bill. And while, at times, it was not easy, I appreciate their willingness to work with the Senate on compromise legislation that will improve the lives of millions of uninsured and underinsured Americans.

This bill is expected to be considered by the House of Representatives tomorrow, and once it has been approved by the House, it will be sent to the President to be signed into law.

The health centers program was created over 40 years ago and has been providing health care to those without health coverage and those who are underinsured. These centers provide care to children, their parents, and their grandparents and are an important part of our country's health care safety net.

Community centers have made a tremendous difference for Utahns with insufficient health coverage. In fact, Utah community health centers provide care to close to 85,000 patients. They have not only filled in health coverage gaps, but they have also done an excellent job providing care to those with little or no coverage.

Utah health centers have made a tremendous difference in the lives of many Utahns--66 percent of patients come from Utah's urban areas and 27 percent are from the rural parts of the State. Ninety-six percent of Utah's health center patients, incomes are below 200 percent of the Federal poverty level. Utah health centers have literally changed their lives--in rural areas, health centers are often the only health care provider.

Our bill will reauthorize the health center program for 5 more years and includes funding levels of $2,065,000,000 in fiscal year 2008; $2,213,000,000 in fiscal year 2009; $2,602,000,000 in fiscal year 2010; $2,940,000,000 in fiscal year 2011; and $3,337,000,000 in fiscal year 2012.

H.R. 1343 also contains other important provisions relating to community health centers including a health care quality study conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, on efforts to expand and accelerate quality improvement activities in community health centers.

In addition, our bill requires the Government Accountibility Office, GAO, to conduct three studies. The first study would review integrated health systems as a model to expand access to primary and preventive services for medically underserved populations and improve care coordination and health care outcomes. The second GAO study would evaluate the economic costs and benefits of school-based health centers and their impact on the health of students. The final study would make recommendations on policy options that would encourage health care practitioners to work as volunteers in health centers.

The Health Care Safety Net Act allows the Secretary of HHS to recognize the unique needs of high poverty areas in awarding grants, something that was important to members representing these parts of the country.

The legislation reauthorizes the National Health Service Corps, NHSC, at $55 million over 5 years and also makes permanent the automatic health professions shortage area designation that community health centers currently have, allowing them to cut down on the cumbersome paperwork that can delay NHSC placements. The bill requires the NHSC to assist the Corps members in professional development opportunites.

H.R. 1343 also reauthorizes the State Loan Repayment Program through 2012 and makes the District of Columbia and the territories eligible for this program, which is part of the overall strategy to improve access to health care in underserved communities.

Our bill reauthorizes the Primary Dental Workforce and Rural Healthcare Programs, which increases access to dental care in underserved areas by providing matching funds for States to use in training, recruiting, and placing dentists. In addition, the bill reauthorizes the rural health care programs at $45 million per year through 2012. I would like to thank Senator Susan Collins for working with us on this important provision.

The legislation improves access to primary care during public health emergencies by improving coordination between health centers, State and local emergency planners, and existing Federal programs for medical volunteers.

Finally, the bill prevents rural health clinics, RHC, from losing Medicare certification by including a technical fix that aligns Health Resources and Services Administration, HRSA, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS, standards so that all RHC shortage area designations are reviewed every 4 years. This provision was extremely important to members of the Senate Rural Health Care Caucus, and I would like to thank Senators Pat Roberts, Tom Harkin, Gordon Smith, Ron Wyden, Kent Conrad, and John Barrasso for bringing this important matter to our attention. I also want to thank Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus and its ranking member Chuck Grassley for their willingness to include this provision in this bill.

Community health centers have made a huge impact in people's lives. I am pleased and proud that our legislation has been approved by the Senate, and I urge my House colleagues to approve this important bill as quickly as possible. This legislation will not only allow health centers to continue providing people with essential health care services but also will ensure that the health centers will have the funding necessary to provide these important services.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss the issue of the uninsured in recognition of National Uninsured Week in our country.

In recent years the cost of health care has grown wildly. Those who can afford private or employer-based health insurance are fortunate. Unfortunately, 47 million Americans lack health insurance, including nine million children--and in Texas one out of every four individuals is without health insurance.

We need a national health care plan, but until we make it a national priority, Congress will continue to make incremental steps.

That's why Congress has worked so hard to include more children under the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and I have introduced the Health Centers Renewal Act (H.R. 1343), the Community Mental Health Services Act (H.R. 5167) and the Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act (H.R. 154).

Ten years ago Congress created the SCHIP to help provide health insurance for children of low-income workers. These are hard-working families whose jobs don't offer employer-sponsored health insurance, or whose dependant coverage for children is unaffordable.

Nationwide there are approximately 9 million uninsured children. Alarmingly, more than 1.5 million of those children live in Texas. Our state had significant barriers against the enrollment of new children in SCHIP, and even has policies that have kicked kids out of the program.

As a result, Texas SCHIP enrollment has dropped from about half a million in 2003 to 350,000 in 2007. While children are unceremoniously removed from SCHIP, the number of uninsured continues to grow in our state.

There are about 1.5 million Texas children in households earning less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level and 750,000 to 850,000 of them are eligible for Medicaid or SCHIP coverage. Three fourths are not enrolled in either program, meaning there are 200,000 to 300,000 kids in Texas who are eligible but not enrolled in SCHIP.

Tragically, the state doesn't even use the all the funds the federal government has provided for our children who are going without basic care. Eventually the money--more than $850 million in the last seven years--goes to other states or back to the Federal government.

Bipartisan majorities in both houses of Congress have supported an expansion of SCHIP that would help solve some of Texas's problems twice over the last year. Sadly, President Bush vetoed our efforts both times, but we will not give up until our children have the health care they need.

In the meantime, we have opened other fronts in the battle to improve the quality of health care in our country. The Health Centers Renewal Act was introduced last year and approved by the Subcommittee on Health on April 23, and will go to the full committee soon.

Health centers represent our Nation's largest primary health care system and serve as

a medical home to more than 15 million Americans, most of whom are uninsured or have low incomes.

By providing people who are medically underserved with primary and preventive health care, the health centers reduce the need for expensive specialty care in hospitals and emergency rooms. The Health Centers Renewal Act will allow health centers to nearly double the number of individuals they can serve.

The Community Mental Health Services Improvement Act, which was introduced in January, will improve medical care for often-neglected mental health patients. Community mental health organizations serve more than six million adults and children across the country.

Many of these people are Medicaid beneficiaries, children in foster care, the destitute, homeless and uninsured. Unfortunately, community mental health centers have been chronically underfunded for many years and struggle to meet the basic health needs of the people they serve.

This bill will allow mental health care providers to recruit medical primary care doctors to care for patients with serious mental illness. Patients with mental illnesses die on average 25 years earlier than the average American, demonstrating the criticality of the need for better health care.

The Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act was introduced last year would close a loophole that allows more than a million people with disabilities to go without medical care for extended periods of time.

When Medicare expanded in 1972 to include individuals with significant disabilities, Congress stipulated that they had to first receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for two years before becoming eligible for Medicare, resulting in a three step process.

First, the Social Security Administration has to determine SSDI approval. Second, an individual has to wait five months before receiving SSDI benefits. Third, after receiving SSDI benefits an individual has to wait two more years before they can receive Medicare coverage.

More than 26 percent of individuals with significant disabilities have no health insurance during this two-year wait. Before becoming disabled, most of these people worked full time and paid into Medicare like everyone else.

Now, when they need help the most, they are required to wait without coverage. This bill would phase out the two-year wait over 10 years and completely eliminate the waiting period for people with life- threatening conditions.

Finally, I strongly support restoring funding for the Healthy Community Access Program, which in my community has helped enroll an additional 250,000 individuals in Medicaid and CHIP, while also directing the uninsured away from the ERs and toward an appropriate health care home.

To address this issue, I introduced the Community Coalitions for Access and Quality Improvement Act, H.R. 3561. This legislation would provide grants to community health access coalitions to implement best practices proven to reduce health care costs, achieve better health outcomes and improve access to health care for uninsured and low-income Americans.

Congress should enact legislation to provide all Americans with health insurance. Ideally, no child, no disabled worker, and no uninsured woman would suffer from a lack of adequate health care. As we work toward that goal, Congress should take every opportunity to put in place policies that provide as many people as possible with quality, affordable health insurance.