Senate Proceeding on Jan 28th, 2009 :: 3:22:40 to 3:37:55
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3:32:50 to 3:33:11( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: quorum call: udz -- mr. the presiding office senator fr iowa. mr. grassley: i ask that the calling of the quorum be suspended. the presiding officer: without objection. you have the floor. mr. grassley: i support the amendment offered by senator roberts and i would like to say a few things about it at this point. the roberts amendment would focus the children's health

3:32:50 to 3:42:35( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Chuck Grassley

3:33:12 to 3:33:33( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: insurance prog original purpose of the program, which is coverage of children. this amendment eliminates the earmarks in the bill which make it easier for states to cover children from families incomes above 400% of poverty. the amendment sets an actual threshold on a state's ability

3:33:34 to 3:33:54( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: to expand schip at higher income levels. it does this by eligibility for taxpayers' subsidized health coverage in the children's health insurance program at 5,000 in annual income. the amendment fixes another loophole in the bill which would permit sta

3:33:55 to 3:34:16( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: eligibility higher than children's health insurance program. last night the senate finance committee voted out an economic stimulus package wit 7 billion in incased medicaid spending. the increased is in the form of higher federal payments to states for the coverage of people in the

3:34:17 to 3:34:38( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: medicaid program. we heard over and over from this side of the aisle -- the other side of the aisle -- how the federal taxpayers need to pay more, pay for more federal dollars going into medicaid because if they don't, then states will cut benefits or cut back on the already dismal

3:34:39 to 3:35:01( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: payments for providers who see medicaid patients. in fact, i offered an amendment to that stimulus bill to protect the safety net, and it was tkwaoetd on a party -- defeated on a party-line vote. my amendment essentially said if congress is going to give states 7 billion for the programs, then we should make sure that they don't undermine

3:35:02 to 3:35:24( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: access to vital service with cutbacks to -- like children's hospitals, public hospitals who are already struggling. and we should make sure that states don't cut funds for health centers and for pediatricians. the 7 billion in the so-called stimulus bill won't do much good to protect low-income children

3:35:25 to 3:35:46( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: and families' health coverage if states are allowed to take these billions of dollars that's intended to protect the safety net; instead use it as their own slush fund to do whatever they want. but protect the safety net were defeated. so what we now have is the

3:35:47 to 3:36:08( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: so-called stimulus in that is nothing more than an 7 states. with states crying out for a multibillion-dollar bailout from the federal government, it seems to me very ironic that we have come to such a whether to allow states to

3:36:09 to 3:36:31( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: expand income levels as high as 300% to 400% of poverty. you know, i believe it is new york -- that is above 3,000 a year income plus 0,000 a disregard above that. now, on the otherand, the other side is fighting so hard to children's health insurance

3:36:32 to 3:36:52( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: these higher-income levels. while, on the other hand, they're saying that unless t federal government dumps billions of dollars into state coffers, states will be forced to eliminate benefits and services at the various income that argument obviously makes no sense whatsoever.

3:36:53 to 3:37:13( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: we should be focusing our efforts on covering low-income kids first. the other side will come down here and say that is what they're doing. but when they're unwilling to i want to make sure everyone understands what we're talking

3:37:14 to 3:37:36( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: about her legislation, and particularly the children's health insurance program provides higher federal matching dollars to provide health coverage for low-income children. that's what it does. and the higher federal matching dollars are there to encourage

3:37:37 to 3:37:57( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: states t and get these kids covered. this program has been in place now since 1997. obviously 12 years. and still there are about 6 million low-income uninsured children in