CONGRESSWOMAN PRYCE URGES PRESIDENT TO SIGN CHILDREN’S HEALTH ACT OF 2000

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Deborah Pryce (R-OH-15) today joined Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert at a press conference in front of the U.S. Capitol in order to urge President Clinton to sign the Children’s Health Act of 2000 (H.R. 4365), a bill that will benefit millions of American children. The legislation passed the House last week and is being sent to the White House today.

"Our quietest constituents are the most important constituents, our children. We must protect the interests of those who can’t speak for themselves." Pryce said. "This package of important children’s health bills addresses a wide variety of critical health issues and will help meet the unique needs of our kids."

Pryce is pleased the Children’s Health Act of 2000 includes measures to help battle childhood cancer and re-authorizes funding for Graduate Medical Education to train physicians at children’s hospitals through FY 2005.

"This legislation will help fight childhood cancer, which steals the lives of 3,000 of our children annually," Pryce said. "The Children’s Health Act awards grants to study childhood cancer risk factors, encourages uniform reporting standards by health care providers across the nation, and creates a new pediatric research initiative at NIH in order to help us better understand the way in which this disease attacks children."

"Graduate Medical Education funding for children’s hospitals is an issue of fairness," Pryce said. "Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio and other children’s hospitals throughout the country need resources to adequately train their physicians. It is necessary that we provide children’s hospitals support that is on par with that received by teaching hospitals for adults."

Pryce said the package also includes provisions to address day care safety, maternal and infant health, and pediatric health promotion, along with efforts to fight youth drug abuse and provide mental health services.

The Children’s Health Act of 2000 amends the Public Health Service Act to revise, extend, and establish programs with respect to children’s health research, health promotion and disease prevention activities conducted through Federal public health agencies.