Transcripts For CSPAN Public Affairs Events 20171103 : vimar

Fiveyear extension of the Childrens Health Insurance Program known as chip. Along with a twoyear extension of Community Health centers and numerous other critically important Public Health programs. This bill will deliver Quality Health care and peace of mind to millions of americans. The patients and families helped by this legislation are our neighbors and our friends. More than eight million children receive chipfunded coverage and more than 25 million patients are served by our Community Health centers and other important programs. This fiveyear funding of chip marks one of the longest extensions of the Program Since it was created 20 years ago. The policy we are considering mirrors the bipartisan policy thats been introduced and voted out of our Sister Committee in the United States senate. Funding for these important programs expired september 30. The committee worked on a bipartisan basis well before this deadline, to try and reach a bipartisan agreement on a range of policies to yaufer set the costs of this very critically important funding extension. Three times at the request of the democrats we delayed committee action. Three times. We tried to find offsets that were agreeable as weve always been able to do before. Unfortunately that was not the case this time. These delays meant Congress Went past the deadline of september 30. While states still have rollover chip funds available, and the next wave of Community Health center funds wont go out until next year, we cannot wait any longer. Patients cannot wait any longer. Patients need care. These critical programs need funding. And we must move forward. In my district alone, there are 12 federally qualified Health Center organizations with 63 delivery sites. They leverage 41 million in federal money in order to serve more than 240,000 patients in oregons second district. These Health Centers, and i visited many of them, are prevention and Public Health in action. Often rving as the main provider of care for people for hundreds of miles around. Were also extending the tional Health Service corps. And the teaching Health Center graduate medical education program. Mr. Speaker, these are really important work force programs that place qualified providers into se of the most underserved areas of our country. In addition to Community Health centers and the work force programs, this bill extends the funding for the special Diabetes Program and the family to Family Health Information Centers. The peonal responsibility progm. And the Youth Empowerment program. These locally based patientntered organizations provide comprehensive services to those most in need. Moreover, this legislation eliminates two years of the acrosstheboard cuts to medicaid allotments called for under the Affordable Care act, obamacare, we delay those cuts foa disproportionate share of hospitals for two years. Medicaid dish funding represents an important component of many state Medicaid Programs and is particularly relied upon by many states to help provide Additional Resources to key safety net providers. Now, while this relief is only temporary, and does not address the larger structural challenges under obamacare, it woulgive Congress Time to explore what budgetneutral approaches ere might be delegate existing dish dollars on a morequitable and fair basis. In my state alone of oregon, hospitals have told me this relief in this bill just for them represents 6. 8 mllion over the ne two years that they can use to helpowincome people get access to hospital care. In paying for this package,nd this is the area where we have most disagreement with the democrats, we have take an fiscally responsible approach. Like using existingunding streams for prevention and Public Health efforts, for prevention and Public Health efforts. And ensung highdollar lottery winners a removed from the Medicaid Program so its limited resources can be prioritized for the most vulnerable. And stopping individuals on the Affordable Care acts exchanges from gaming the system. The bill also asks medicares wealthiest 1 , people who are retired and making 40,000 40,000 a month, not a year, a month, to pay about 135 more for their medicare, just on parts b and d, thats already subsidized by 75 . Just a little more so we can fund Childrens Health Insurance Program Childrens Health insurance for five years. While it was not ultimately possible, unfortunately, to reach consensus on some of the policies to offset the new funding in this bill, there is broad bipartisan agreement on the core policies contained in this legislation. I believe theres bipartisan support for many of the reasonable and fiscally responsible offsets contained in House Resolution 3922. So, mr. Speaker, this is good legislation. This is long overdue legislation. It reflects the good work done by your house energy and Commerce Committee, and i urge my colleagues to put politics aside today and ensure these vital programs get funding extensions they need. Were over the deadline. Its time to act. With that, i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. The gentleman from new jersey is recognized. Mr. Pallone thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Pallone mr. Speaker, i rise today to speak in opposition to h. R. 3922, a partisan bill to reauthorize the Childrens Health Insurance Program or chip, as well as Community Health centers and other Public Health programs. It pains me to be here today because this should not be a partisan bill. I have tried for months to negotiate with republicans to develop a bipartisan compromise, but House Republicans chose to spend the first nine months of this year by trying to repeal the Affordable Care act. They failed. Now House Republicans are using the reauthorization of chip and Community Health centers as a way to once again sabotage the a. C. A. Make no mistake, mr. Speaker, if republicans cant repeal the a. C. A. Outright, theyll cripple it any time they can. This time republicans are risking the health care of nearly nine million children and the care of families all around the country that use Community Health centers. Theyre risking that care because this partisan bill has no chance of ever becoming law. By taking this route, republicans are guaranteeing the chip and Community Health centers will not be reauthorized until the end of the year. And thats extremely unfortunate. Mr. Speaker, i strongly support chip, our Community Health centers, and all of our Public Health programs that are extended in this bill. These programs have traditionally been bipartisan. The bill before us extends these programs by taking billions of dollars away from the Affordable Care act and undermining medicare. In short, this republican bill offers a false choice. In one hand, it strips Health Care Away from upwards of 680,000 americans and guts the Prevention Fund, which pays for immunization and vaccines, lead poisoning prevention, opioid treatment, and many other important programs. And on the other hand, it reauthorizes these important programs. Democrats strongly support reauthorization of these programs but we reject the way republicans are paying for fem. So, mr. Speaker, there are so them. So, mr. Speaker, there are so many other policies that save money. Countless alternatives that democrats have offered to republicans for months. Yesterday i offered an alternative that would have provided a robust reauthorization and extension of these important programs and it was paid for in a commonsense way. My alternative would have changed the timing of payments to Medicare Advantage plans. This approach was recommended by both the g. A. O. And the office of the inspector general. But republicans rejected it in the rules committee. They wouldnt even allow it to come before the full house for a vote. And why . Its because they would rather use reauthorization of chip and Community Health centers as another way to sabotage the Affordable Care act. I simply reject that approach and strongly urge a no vote. And i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. The gentleman from oregon is recognized. Mr. Walden mr. Speaker, before i call on my next person to Say Something here, there are 17,000 children in mr. Pallones district and 14 Health Centers. That if he votes no, hell be voting against. And by the way, the offset he recommended, people need to know who are watching this, would violate statute in our paygo it would be a paygo violation. Thats why it was not acceptable. This is the problem we face. We delayed three times at their request. Only to be offered up a payfor that violates statute and violates our paygo rules. We cannot accept that. We have to operate within the law. Like everyone else in america. I now yield four minutes to the gentleman from texas, dr. Burgess. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from texas is recognized for four minutes. Mr. Burgess i thank the gentleman for yielding the time, for the recognition, and let me just say, i want to thank members of the health subcommittee, both sides, who have worked hard on this legislation. It is unfortunate that it was not brought to the floor of the house in the month of september. From a subcommittee perspective, we were ready. We had our legislative hearings in june. We were delayed one time, when the whole house recessed after the shooting of the members of the baseball practice. But were rescheduled for two weeks later and we had a successful hearing, we had a good hearing. A lot of facts were laid out. We came up with commonsense legislation that was offset in a responsible way. The offsets are not draconian. And we have before us a bill today that will in fact fund some of the nations most important Public Health programs. It does fund the state Childrens Health insurance for five years. Five years. One of the longest extensions for this Program Since its inception in 1996. It len sure that children and families it will ensure what children and families who rely on this program will continue to receive the access this need. It also includes in a fiscally responsible way to delay the harmful obamacare mandated cuts to safety net hospitals who also provide care to underserved patients. Think about that for a minute. Were accused of undermining obamacare, but heres a cut that obamacare mandates to your safety net hospitals across the country. Not just in texas, but across the country. And were replacing that today in a fiscally responsible way. Provides funding for Community Health centers, an important part, important key part of health care in communities across the country. And it will help americans who rely owns on these vital Health Services. Not only does the bill provide assistance for underserved populations, but it does so without adding to the national debt. The committee for a responsible federal budget called this, quote, a responsible health package, closed quote. Noting that the 18 billion cost is fully offset with savings beyond the 10year budget window. Other groups have also been supportive. Texas hospital association, Texas Health Resources for me back home, the childrens hospitals, and a number of health care organizations. Have data from mackpack who advise congress on policy. They have advised us on, under current law there are no new federal funds for state Childrens Health insurance for fiscal year 2018 and beyond unless Congress Acts to renew funding, all states will experience in in chip funds for 2018, which means if someone is contemplating a no vote on this bill, if youre contemplating a no vote, you do need to be aware that if you live in the states of arizona and minnesota, you ran out of money in october of 2017. North carolina, same situation. Oregon runs out next month. Vermont runs out next month. You need to think about your no vote before you apply it. Every single u. S. Territory, with the exception of puerto rico, runs out of ran out of money in the month of october. So a few facts that people do need to bear in mind, that if a that if they vote no on this bill, what the actual implications of that are. Yesterday during the debate on the rule i heard a lot of discussion about taking money out of the Prevention Fund it. Doesnt take money out of the Prevention Fund fund. It doesnt take money out of the Prevention Fund but it does provide discretion for some Public Health dollars, takes it away from the executive branch and redirects these dollars to proven Public Health programs that enjoy broad bipartisan support in congress, like Community Health centers. So, we are fulfilling our article i responsibility. We shouldnt just be giving everything to the administration to decide how to spend money, whether it be a democratic or a republican administration. This is the right thing to do. Im proud of the work done by our subcommittee. I think our subcommittee staff has performed admirably on both sides of the dice. I urge a yes vote on dias. I urge a yes vote on the bill. It is time to act. The speaker pro tempore the gentlemans time has expired. The gentleman from oregon reserves. The gentleman from new jersey is recognized. Mr. Pallone mr. Pallone mr. Speaker, i yield a minute and a half to the gentlewoman from california, ms. Eshoo. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from california is recognized for 1 1 2 minutes. Ms. Eshoo i rise to oppose this bill, the socalled championing healthy kids act. First off, we are a month late and many dollars short. It was the majority that brought it up late. We didnt have anything to do with late. Secondly, were playing political games with the lives of 14 of the children in my Congressional District who received their Health Insurance through the Childrens Health Insurance Program, and the five federally qualified Health Centers in my Congressional District. They provide medical, dental, mental Health Services to almost 55,000 of my constituents every year. Reauthorizing these historically bipartisan programs is critical to the health and safety of not only my constituents but millions of others across our country. Today, the republican majority is holding them hostage by insisting to fund these programs by means testing medicare beneficiaries, kicking individuals who purchased their Health Coverage on the marketplaces off their insurance and gutting the Public Health Prevention Fund established in the Affordable Care act. Remember, the republicans have set their budget based on eliminating the Affordable Care act. My state of california will run out of funding for chip sometime between now and december, and this has never happened before in the history of this program. The Community Health centers in my district told me about the difficult decisions they have to make because congress has not reauthorized i thank the gentleman. Because congress has not reauthorized their funding, including layoffs of physicians and closing clinics doors. Were playing with peoples lives here. If we cant find the funding for these important bipartisan programs, then we dont deserve to be members of congress. I cannot support a bill that hurts people instead of h