Representative Edward J. Markey submitted the following statement into the Congressional Record in support of the Children’s Health and Medicine Protection Act, legislation to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and to provide health insurance to 11 million children who today are eligible for coverage under the program.

I rise today in strong support of the Children’s Health and Medicare Protection Act.

The United States has highest Gross Domestic Product in the world. We have the most advanced technology, the strongest research program, and for some, the best medicine in the world.

But last year, 18,000 Americans died because they were uninsured and did not have access to health care. Many of them were children.

Providing health care for poor children used to be a bipartisan issue. But today the Republicans say that they philosophically object to this bill claiming that it is a massive expansion of government-run healthcare.

But this bill does not change the structure of the program that the Republicans voted for in 1997. The only explanation is that they philosophically object to spending the $50 billion dollars necessary to find and give healthcare to all 11 million poor, eligible children. What kind of philosophy is that?

President Bush used to talk about compassionate conservatism, but this debate has exposed a Republican Party that is neither compassionate nor conservative.

Instead, we are seeing some on the other side of the aisle choosing corporations over children. They demand that we continue federal subsidies for their friends in the big, for profit, insurance companies, while denying uninsured children the healthcare they need.

If you kick these Republicans in the heart, you’ll break your toe.

I urge you to vote Yes on this critical children’s health bill.