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0|0|Sen Jon Corzine%27s letter to pResident Bush|LynneSin||10:42:52|08/07/2001|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.truthout.com%2F0500.17.Sens.Letter.htm%0D%0A%5Bb%5DCORZINE JOINED BY 16 COLLEAGUES IN LETTER TO BUSH%5B%2Fb%5D %0D%0A%0D%0AWASHINGTON - 08.02.01 %7C Senator Jon S. Corzine today organized a bipartisan letter to President Bush opposing a draft policy developed by the Department of Health and Human Services that would allow states to define %22 an unborn child%22 as a %22targeted low-income child%22 eligible for health coverage under the State Children%27s Health Insurance Program %28CHIP%29. His letter was co-signed by a bipartisan group of Senators. %0D%0A%0D%0A%22This unnecessarily inserts abortion politics into a policy where the real goal should be to reduce both infant and maternal mortality%2C%22 the letter states. %22We share your belief that we should do all we can to expand access to prenatal care. Prenatal care is critical to improving health outcomes for both mother and newborn child. Yet as a nation%2C we do far too little to provide this type of care. But rather than attempting to improve the health of American women and to ensure healthy births%2C this policy forces a contentious abortion battle and an arduous regulatory and legal process that may take years to resolve.%22 %0D%0A%0D%0AThe United States is currently ranked 25th in infant mortality and 21st in maternal mortality%2C the worst record among developed nations. Earlier this year%2C New Jersey became one of two states to receive a waiver%2C which allows the state to expand coverage for pregnant women under the CHIP program%2C whose primary goal is to insure low-income children and provide prenatal and maternity care for women. Senator Corzine is an original cosponsor of the %22Start Healthy%2C Stay Healthy Act%2C%22 which would allow states to provide health care coverage for pregnant women and children up to their first birthday%2C and to expand coverage for children until their 20th birthday through the CHIP program. The letter drafted by Senator Corzine urges the President%2C %22rather than focusing on the fetus%2C which creates controversy where none need exist%2C we should expand health coverage to pregnant women%2C%22 through proposals such as the bipartisan Start Healthy%2C Stay Healthy initiative. %0D%0A%0D%0A%22Given our nation%27s high levels on infant and maternal mortality%2C we cannot let the critical issue of extending health coverage to pregnant women spiral into an abortion debate%2C%22 the letter concludes. %22Coverage of prenatal care is an issue behind which all of us can and must unite.%22 %0D%0A%0D%0A %0D%0A%0D%0AAugust 2%2C 2001 %0D%0A%0D%0AThe President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue%2C N.W. Washington%2C D.C. 20500 %0D%0A%0D%0ADear President Bush%2C %0D%0A%0D%0AWe are writing to voice our opposition to a draft policy developed by the Department of Health and Human Services that would allow states to define %22an unborn child%22 as a %22targeted low-income child%22 eligible for health coverage under the State Children%27s Health Insurance Program %28CHIP%29. This unnecessarily inserts abortion politics into a policy where the real goal should be to reduce both infant and maternal mortality. %0D%0A%0D%0AWe share your belief that we should do all that we can to expand access to prenatal care. Prenatal care is critical to improving health outcomes for both mother and newborn child. Yet as a nation%2C we do far too little to provide this type of care. But rather than attempting to improve the health of American women and to ensure healthy births%2C this policy forces a contentious abortion battle and an arduous regulatory and legal process that may take years to resolve. %0D%0A%0D%0ABoth Medicaid and CHIP already have mechanisms in place to provide prenatal care to low-income women. As you know%2C Medicaid requires states to cover prenatal care and maternity care for women with incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level %AD and 39 states have higher income ceilings%2C making even more women eligible for care. And while CHIP was designed to provide health care to uninsured children%2C the federal government can grant waivers to allow states to cover pregnant women as well. In fact%2C the Clinton Administration granted two such waivers%2C to New Jersey and Rhode Island%2C on January 18%2C 2001. There are also bipartisan efforts pending in the Congress to expand health care coverage to pregnant women and the parents of uninsured children that we hope you will support. The United States is currently ranked 25th in infant mortality and 21st in maternal mortality%2C the worst record among the world%27s developed nations. Rather than focusing on the fetus%2C which creates controversy where none need exist%2C we should expand health coverage to pregnant women%2C which would improve their health and therefore the outcome of the pregnancy. %0D%0A%0D%0AGiven our nation%27s high levels of infant and maternal mortality%2C we cannot let the critical issue of extending health coverage to pregnant women spiral into an abortion debate. Coverage of prenatal care is an issue behind which all of us can and must unite. We would welcome the opportunity to work with you to increase access to prenatal care to reduce maternal and infant mortality%2C and hope you will consider supporting the bipartisan efforts in Congress to expand health care coverage to pregnant women and to the parents of uninsured children. %0D%0A%0D%0ASincerely%2C %0D%0A%0D%0ASenators Corzine%2C Bingaman%2C Boxer%2C Clinton%2C Dayton%2C Feinstein%2C Jeffords%2C Kennedy%2C Kerry%2C Lincoln%2C Mikulski%2C Murray%2C Reed%2C Schumer%2C Snowe%2C Stabenow%2C Torricelli %0D%0A%0D%0A%28%5Bi%5DNOTE%3A  Notice there%27s even a republican on the list%2C 100%25 prochoice Olympia Snowe%5B%2Fi%5D%29%0D%0A%0D%0A____________________________________________________%0D%0A%0D%0AJust my 2 cents%0D%0A%0D%0A- Lynne%0D%0A%0D%0AThe only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing - attrib to Edmund Burke%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.mcgreevey2001.com%2F%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.markwarner2001.org%2F
1|1|Good for Corzine%21|ENR240||12:50:47|08/07/2001|I like him. Lautenberg and Torricelli were%2Fare of the crappy %22moderate Democrats%22 breed. %3Apuke%3A%0D%0A%0D%0ACorzine and Bradley were REAL Democrats.
2|2|I second the motion...|Minx||16:02:15|08/07/2001|but I also support moderate Democrats%2C many of whom are pro-choice. %28I generally do not support conservative Democrats.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AThe GOP should read some of Barry Goldwater%27s stuff and leave all of this moralistic and devisive rhetoric out of all legislation.%0D%0AAs long as the McCarthy kind of GOP stuff continues%2C there will not be consensus on many subjects.%0D%0A%0D%0AI do think this non-stop morality hypocrisy will be Bush%27s undoing.  %0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A
3|3|When this administration is caught in a massive scandal%2C|revcarol||17:06:00|08/07/2001|we might make more headway. I believe this is inevitable come on%2C Woodward %26 Berstein%2C or your followers%21%21 Find the corruption that is there.%0D%0A%0D%0AThis is as bad as %22embryonic persons.%22 Women are valued only for the babies they are about to produce. And the heck with the women and children afterward%3A   %22Get a job%2C even if it is starvation wages%21%21 Reduced food stamp benefits%2C no medical coverage for the mother or father who has to take care of this child.%22...Do you believe this is the 21st century%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AThis is my rant for today%21%21
4|3|Morality stuff is what keeps the red states . . .|lolly||17:55:30|08/07/2001|All this %22morality stuff%22 is what keeps semi-literate%2C working class fundamentalists voting Republican.%0D%0A%0D%0ARepublicans know this%2C even as they know that most of the policies they pursue--undermining social security%2C job security%2C unions%2C healthcare%2C etc etc--hurts this group of people disproportionately.%0D%0A%0D%0AIf they can keep these people focused on %22morality%2C%22 they can keep them from asking who benefits from Republican rule--and it isn%27t working class folk from any region%2C red state or blue state.
5|4|It%27s all about the %22Values.%22|mzpip||18:47:36|08/07/2001|This will be the new theme that Bushrat will emphasize when he get back from his %22vacation%22 which is really a %22Home to the Heartland Tour.%22 %0D%0A%0D%0AExpect all of the spin and sound bites coming out of the White HOuse to include the phrase %22American values.%22  %0D%0A%0D%0ASocial Security - %22It%27s all about insuring the values of the American people.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AABM Treaty - %22We need to protect our American values with a new approach.%22%0D%0A%0D%0APatient%27s Bill of Rights - %22Our American values will be best served by keeping health care out of the hands of the trial lawyers.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AStem Cell Research - %22America is a nation that values life.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AIt will be %22All Values%2C All the Time.%22  %28Once they get sick of Condit%29.%0D%0A%0D%0AMzPip
6|5|excellent|IrateCitizen||11:31:23|08/08/2001|You certainly hit the nail on the head with that one.  Right up there with %22Leave no child behind.%22
8|6|That and |mzpip||16:31:24|08/11/2001|%22Reformer with Results.%22  Makes me want to %3Apuke%3A%0D%0AMzPip
9|4|Isn%27t it sad Lolly...|Minx||03:25:26|08/12/2001|Everything you wrote is so true %3A%28 I sincerely hope%2Fwish that we could somehow reach out to these people so that they understand that they are not being represented. It is the worst form of opportunistic behavior...taking advantage of people this way.%0D%0A  
7|1|Corzine is my senator|Cappurr||11:35:16|08/08/2001|And I am so glad I voted for him.