Date: 2012-03-20
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise this morning on a number of issues that I think are enormously important. and I am delighted to join initially my colleague from Texas to again emphasize and truthfully tell the story about the Affordable Care Act that is now 2 years old. But as a founder and the cochair of the Congressional Childrens Caucus. and because our children are our presents and our tomorrows. I think its important to ask the question: Do we want healthy children? And should health care be a question of wealth and status? Or should it be open to all of our beautiful and precious children and youth? The Affordable Care Act allows our young college students to remain on their parents health insurance until the age of 26. The Affordable Care Act allows a baby that has a proclivity to asthma as a preexisting condition to be able to be covered by insurance. It provides an opportunity for extensive research into some of the unsolved childhood diseases. such as pediatric cancer. And. of course. it provides greater access to health care by expanding what we call community health clinics. something that I have been a proponent of since coming to Congress and throughout the Bush administration. when I asked President Bush directly about the number of community health clinics not only in the Nation but in my State of Texas. where we have the highest number of uninsured persons. So I dont know why our Republican Presidential candidates and many think that the rising pathway to victory is to condemn an opportunity for our children. I find that curious. at best. And I would applaud and celebrate President Obama and his administration. the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Secretary Sebelius. and all of those who are contributing to the implementing of this legislation. I can tell you. in Texas today. as I stand. women are being denied access to health care. Thank God for the Affordable Care Act for its constitutional or its Federal premise of providing access to health care for all Americans. At least we have something that we can use to question the denial of access to health care to women in the State of Texas. I indicated that I chair the Congressional Childrens Caucus. so I rise today to applaud the Justice Department decision to investigate the death. the murder. of Mr. Trayvon Martin in Sanford. Florida. A youngster. the child of two loving parents. minding his own business. wearing the attire of youthful people. hoodies. sneakers. I understand that he had his earphones in his ear and may have been bopping along to a little music. I support Neighborhood Watch. I come from local government. Neighbors should watch out for each other but not a neighborhood vigilante. If the 911 call said to that individual. Mr. Zimmerman. "Dont follow him." then get in your car and sit quiet. The police are on the way. Every one of us. as parentsI have a sonthis is not an issue that should strike us as color. It should be anyone that has a teenager. bopping along with a hoody on and sneakers and earphones in his ear. just going to get candy. to be able to sit in front of the allstar game. and he winds up with a gunshot to the chest that kills him dead in his tracks. Thank you Justice Department for recognizing that the harsh law in the State of Florida that says that you can stand your ground and defend yourself. this man should have retreated. He should have never been out there after that boy. That boy was not found coming out of a window. going through a door. He was on a sidewalk. And it is an outrage. Thank you to President Obamas Justice Department for recognizing that his civil rights are now in question of having been violated. And the Federal law preempts Floridas law. which is the harshest law in this Nation. Every parent should think at least that if their child is just being a child. just being a teenager. a youngster who liked to babysit and play football. that he still had life ahead of him. I also want to say that I support moving the "R" status from the bullying bill. I held a major hearing in my district. Bullying is an epidemic. And I have introduced major legislation. H.R. 83. and I am encouraging the Judiciary Committee to pass this legislation dealing with bullying. It is an epidemic. We can reauthorize the block grant to give money for best practices to help parents. to help schools. to help children learn about bullying. I believe in our children. I want this Congress to believe in our children. and this Nation to believe in our children.