Max Baucus

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendment be set aside.

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I commend the Senator from North Dakota. If our colleagues could see the conditions of health care on the reservations of this country, they would be appalled, absolutely appalled. It is as bad as a Third World country. It is disgusting the low quality of health care on the reservations. The Senator from North Dakota earlier mentioned the life-and-limb provision. Basically, the Indian Health Service does not take people unless it is for life and limb, unless you have lost a limb or your life is in jeopardy, nothing less. That is not entirely true because it depends upon the allocation of the various Indian Health Service hospitals around the country. But very quickly, those hospitals get to the point where they are at the life-and-limb threshold. They have used up what few paltry dollars they have. So on the Blackfeet Reservation of Montana, someone is ill, a child is ill. If they have reached that reservation and reached the life-and-limb limit--which happens, I am told, midway through the year--that is it. They don't get any health care. It is an absolute outrage. We all know the health conditions on Indian reservations are much worse. Statistics show it is much worse than the national average. About 27 percent of Indian kids don't have any health insurance whatsoever. I might also say the tuberculosis rate on the Indian reservations is about 7\1/2\ times that of the general population. The same is true of the suicide rate and so on. I say to my good friend from North Dakota, absolutely, I am committed. We passed this bill out of committee. It passed last year. It passed by unanimous vote in committee. I am very committed to having a markup. Indeed, I think we scheduled September 12 to get this out of committee so we can find a way to get this bill enacted this year. I share the conviction. We have to find a way to get this done this year. It is an outrage, a total outrage in the United States of America to let these conditions continue. Frankly, this legislation is only the beginning to bring the level totally all the way up to what it should be. I thank the Senator for offering this amendment tonight. I am committed to find a way to get this enacted into law this year.

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that following those two Senators receiving recognition, Senator McCaskill then be recognized; that following Senator McCaskill, Senator Gregg be recognized for an amendment.

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I yield to the Senator from Ohio for a unanimous consent request.

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, what is the regular order?

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I think the regular order is to recognize the Senator from North Dakota.

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, many Senators are waiting very patiently this evening. I see the Senator from Missouri, who has been extremely patient. We have done our best to protect Senators' places in line. Many Senators want to come to the floor and speak on this bill. I ask unanimous consent that the following Senators be recognized in this order after Senator McCaskill and Senator Gregg: Senators Whitehouse, Coburn, Brown, Corker, Durbin, Martinez, Klobuchar, Dole, and Tester.

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, how much time is remaining on both sides?

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, the Senator from Colorado is to be recognized next. I say to my friend from Kentucky, I think the Senators from the two States that will be directly affected by the amendment will be coming to the floor to speak in opposition. When they do, those Senators will be recognized. In the meantime, I urge the Chair to recognize the Senator from Colorado.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, the Senator from Kentucky, Mr. Bunning, is going to be offering an amendment. So I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendment be temporarily laid aside so the Senator from Kentucky can offer his amendment.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that following the remarks of Senator Allard, during which he will offer an amendment, then the Senator from New Jersey, Mr. Menendez, be recognized; following Senator Menendez, Senator Lott be recognized; and following Senator Lott, Senator Obama.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, Senator Casey has been seeking recognition, and I assured him earlier today that he would be able to speak at about this time. I ask unanimous consent that Senator Casey be able to speak and that following Senator Casey, the Senator from Colorado, Mr. Allard, be recognized to offer an amendment.

Mr. BAUCUS. Thank you very much.

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I think we are awaiting the arrival of Senator Grassley. While he is getting ready, I could not be more pleased to have a better partner than Senator Grassley. He and I worked very closely together, and he and I and Senators Hatch and Rockefeller worked very hard to put this current legislation together. I thank the Senator from Iowa for his dedication and public service. He does a good job.

Mr. BAUCUS. Well, I have a list of Senators who wish to speak. I have times next to the Senators as to when they are going to speak. I also have time allocated on how much time they think they are going to speak. I am asking all Senators to basically speak for fewer minutes so that all Senators can speak at their allotted times.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, the amendments are starting to come before the Senate and that is good. The other news is that all Senators who have lined up to speak at certain specified times are going to have to be very accommodating to other Senators and squeeze down the amount of time they want to speak. Perhaps they can consult with the floor staff to see when they might be able to speak. I now ask unanimous consent that the Senator from Oregon, Senator Smith, be recognized to speak next and, immediately following him, that the Senator from Pennsylvania, Mr. Casey, be recognized to speak. I urge both Senators to limit their remarks as much as possible. Please try to use a little more brevity so we can get to the next speakers. Senator Menendez is also here and he wishes to speak on the amendment offered by the Senator from Kentucky. I yield the floor.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, the normal order is that the sponsor of the amendment speaks first and those opposed second. If we can maintain that, it would be 2\1/2\ and 2\1/2\.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, the Senate now has before it the reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program, otherwise known as CHIP. Pending is a substitute amendment that reflects the bill reported by the Finance Committee by a vote of 17 to 4, a strong bipartisan vote. The bipartisan package Finance Committee colleagues and I crafted will give millions more American children the healthy start they need to lead a long, productive life. Behind me is a photo of Abigale. Who is Abigale? Abigale is from Missoula, MT. At the time the photo was taken she was 4 years old. Abigale has two siblings, and they live with their mother and father. All three of the children participate in the Montana Children's Health Insurance Program. When Abigale was 2\1/2\ years old, she fell down, split her head open and had to have nine stitches. Her medical care was covered by the Children's Health Insurance Program. That same year her 6-year-old brother broke his arm twice and CHIP paid for the surgery, the hospital stay, and all of the medical care he received. Fawn, Abigale's mother, is thankful to have CHIP not only for the emergency care it provides but also it helps immunize children against childhood diseases and allows them to get the checkups they need for school each year. Not having health insurance clearly affects a child's life. Uninsured kids do not go to the doctor. They do not have checkups. They remain undiagnosed for serious childhood conditions such as asthma and diabetes. They do not have vaccinations, and they put themselves and their schoolmates at risk for serious illnesses. Kids without health insurance do not have eye exams and are less likely to get glasses, and often cannot see the chalkboard at school. They are not diagnosed with learning disabilities, and they struggle through their classes. Kids who do not have insurance do not see the dentist. They do not get their cavities filled. They do not get braces, and they risk serious illness due to poor dental health. Adequate health care creates a critical foundation for a healthy life. No one wants innocent children to suffer. Investing in children's health is the compassionate choice, but it is more than that. Insuring our children is a smart economic investment in our Nation's future. Why? Because it is the only choice, if we wish to imbue future generations with strong minds and healthy bodies. It is quite simple. Health insurance has a direct effect on a child's performance at school. Healthy children are more likely to go to school, and they are more likely to do well in school. Then they are more likely to become productive members of the workforce. Children with health insurance are less likely to receive expensive emergency room care. Parents of children with health insurance are less likely to miss days at work to care for their sick children. When America insures our children, we are all better off, we all benefit. Health insurance is especially important to the success of minority populations. African-American, Hispanic, and Native American children are all less likely to have health insurance. They are more likely to be poor. Providing affordable coverage is one of the best ways to reduce the gap for these kids. CHIP has already helped to narrow racial and ethnic disparities in access to care among low-income children. But we can do better. We can continue to narrow that gap. Health insurance is also a key ingredient to alleviating child poverty. Low-income families without insurance often get stuck in a bitter cycle of medical debt. Parents struggling to make ends meet should not have to choose between buying asthma inhalers for their children and putting dinner on the table. So I hope my fellow Senators will make the right choice, the only choice. I hope they will join me in making our children's future, and America's future, a brighter one. I yield the floor.

Mr. BAUCUS. I call up my amendment at the desk.

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I might ask how much time the Senator from New Jersey would like to consume. I very much appreciate and admire him and thank the Senator from New Jersey for speaking on this amendment. It would be helpful to know how long he would be speaking. He can have whatever time he wishes.

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from New Jersey be recognized to speak for 20 minutes.

Mr. BAUCUS. I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I highly compliment the Senator from New Jersey. He is a tireless advocate to make this legislation even better than it was, especially on behalf of parents. There are other groups in his State that are very deserving. I thank him publicly. He has talked to me many times very earnestly, with a real desire to make sure the people in his State are adequately taken care of. I thank the Senator for his tireless advocacy. I inquire of the Senator from Arkansas, roughly how much time does she wish to consume?

Mr. BAUCUS. I thank the Chair.

Mr. BAUCUS. I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from Arkansas be recognized to speak for 20 minutes.