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News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2004

HHS Press Office
(202) 690-6343

Secretary Thompson Urges Group to "Stop Playing Politics with Children's Lives"

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today called on a group of liberal doctors to stop playing politics with children's lives by distorting President Bush's strong record of promoting the health and welfare of American children.

"It is absurd and despicable that doctors are playing politics with children's lives," Secretary Thompson said. "Under President Bush's leadership, childhood vaccination rates are at an all-time high, more children than ever have health insurance through SCHIP, and we have moved aggressively to expand prenatal care for poor women. This is a record to be celebrated -- not criticized by demagogues driven by partisan politics."

"I certainly hope these doctors don't mislead their patients the way they are deceiving people with their wild political attacks," Secretary Thompson added.

President Bush is providing unprecedented leadership in protecting the health of children through record levels of increased access to vaccines, health insurance, prenatal care preschool support, and medical care regardless of the family's ability to pay.

President Bush's record on promoting children's health includes:

  • Childhood vaccines: The vaccination rate for American children reached an all-time high in 2003 under President Bush's leadership. President Bush has increased spending on immunization programs from $1.4 billion the year before he took office to $1.9 billion this year. President Bush also budgeted $40 million in both 2004 and 2005 to purchase more children's influenza vaccine for the first time under the Vaccines for Children Program, helping protect the nation's children against shortages of the flu vaccine. More information on record vaccination rates is available at www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5329a3.htm.

  • SCHIP: Enrollment in the State Children's Health Insurance Program climbed to a record high of 5.8 million under President Bush - up 75 percent from the year before the President took office. And the President is proposing a $1.1 billion Cover the Kids initiative that partners with community groups, faith-based organizations and schools to get more children enrolled in SCHIP. More information on record SCHIP enrollment is available at www.hhs.gov/news/press/2004pres/20040212.html.

  • Prenatal care: President Bush expanded SCHIP coverage to pregnant women for their unborn children -- allowing states to use money to provide prenatal care for more low-income women and their babies. States across the country are taking advantage of the new flexibility by providing care to pregnant women. More information on providing prenatal care to women and unborn children is available at www.hhs.gov/news/press/2002pres/20020131.html.

  • Community Health Centers: President Bush increased the number of people served by health centers by almost 40 percent to a record high of 15 million people. Through March of this year, President Bush's initiative has helped open or expand 614 community health centers, where children and families in urban and rural areas receive quality health care for chronic and acute illnesses regardless of their ability to pay. More information on President Bush's community health center initiative is available at www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/05/20040525-5.html.

  • Head Start: President Bush increased funding for Head Start to a record $6.8 billion in 2004 - up from $6.2 billion in 2001. Additionally, President Bush proposes giving states the flexibility they need to improve Head Start and other preschool programs to ensure children are prepared to succeed in school. More information on President Bush's Head Start program is available at www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/earlychildhood/hspolicybook/03.html

  • Research: President Bush completed the doubling of the National Institutes of Health's budget to a record high level to the benefit of all American families and children. Specifically to benefit children, President Bush signed the Pediatric Research Equity Act of 2003 that will require pediatric studies of drugs to ensure that they are safe and effective for children. More information on the Pediatric Research Equity Act of 2003 is available at www.hhs.gov/news/press/2003pres/20031203b.html.

"The bottom line is President Bush is providing health coverage to more children than ever, and the President has a detailed common-sense plan to cover even more children," Secretary Thompson said. "Some like to simply talk about health care for children, but President Bush is taking decisive action to deliver coverage."

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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

Last Revised: September 29, 2004

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