Remarks at the Action for Healthy Kids Summit - Sept. 28, 2005

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

WHAT A PLEASURE TO SPEAK TO SUCH A GREAT CROWD…AND WHAT AN HONOR TO SPEAK FOR SUCH A GREAT CAUSE.

AS SOMEONE WHO HAS SERVED ON THE LABOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE FOR FIVE YEARS, I KNOW THAT AMERICA IS STRONG IN LARGE PART BECAUSE AMERICA IS HEALTHY.

AND THAT’S BECAUSE WE HAVE THE BEST DOCTORS, THE BEST NURSES, THE BEST HOSPITALS, AND THE BEST MEDICINE IN THE WORLD.

OF COURSE, HAVING THE BEST HEALTH CARE SYSTEM DOESN’T MEAN THAT WE AS PATIENTS ALWAYS FOLLOW ADVICE VERY WELL.

I’M REMINDED OF THE JOKE THAT LYNDON JOHNSON USED TO TELL.

HE SAID THERE WAS A HILL COUNTRY FARMER WHO WAS LOSING HIS HEARING.

HE WENT TO SEE THE LOCAL DOCTOR WHO TOLD HIM TO STOP DRINKING.

IN A FEW WEEKS, THE FARMER CAME BACK FOR A CHECK-UP.

WHEN THE DOCTOR ASKED HIM IF HE HAD STOPPED DRINKING, THE FARMER SAID NO.

THE DOCTOR ASKED WHY.

THE FARMER RESPONDED: “I LIKED WHAT I DRANK MORE THAN WHAT I HEARD.”

THE TRUTH IS, MOST OF US LIKE TO TEMPT FATE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO OUR HEALTH.

IT’S SORT OF LIKE WHAT WINSTON CHURCHILL SAID ABOUT AMERICANS.

HE JOKED THAT YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO DO THE RIGHT THING -- AFTER THEY HAVE EXHAUSTED ALL THEIR OTHER OPTIONS.

ISN’T THAT HOW MOST OF US ARE WITH OUR HEALTH, TOO?

WE TALK ABOUT HEALTH CARE.

BUT NOT UNTIL WE LAND IN THE HOSPITAL DO WE APPRECIATE HOW SERIOUS IT REALLY IS.

DO YOU EVER STOP AND THINK ABOUT HOW MEDICINE AFFECTS OUR NATION AND EVEN OUR WORLD?

SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, THE BASE RE-ALIGNMENT AND CLOSURE COMMISSION RECOMMENDED CLOSING THE WALTER REED MEDICAL CENTER IN WASHINGTON.

AND HONESTLY, IT PROBABLY DOES MAKE SENSE BECAUSE BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL IS RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD.

BUT WHILE MOST OF US KNOW ABOUT WHAT WALTER REED IS…HOW MANY KNOW WHO WALTER REED WAS?

HIS STORY IS AS AMAZING AS IT IS AMERICAN.

HE WAS AN ARMY DOCTOR IN THE LATE 1890S WHO WAS LARGELY RESPONSIBLE FOR DETERMINING THAT YELLOW FEVER — ONE OF THE DEADLIEST DISEASES OF THE TIME — WAS TRANSMITTED BY MESQUITOS.

THAT MEANT THAT YELLOW FEVER WAS ABLE TO BE MORE EFFECTIVELY TREATED AND PREVENTED.

AND THAT MEANT THAT AMERICANS COULD DO SOMETHING THAT SO MANY OTHER NATIONS HAD TRIED AND FAILED TO DO —TO GO INTO THE SWAMPS OF PANAMA AND SUCCESSFULLY BUILD THE PANAMA CANAL.

ISN’T IT AMAZING TO THINK THAT ONE OF AMERICA’S GREATEST INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY ONE OF AMERICA’S GREATEST MEDICAL DISCOVERIES?

AND THAT REALLY IS THE STORY OF MEDICINE.

IT’S ABOUT MORE THAN PILLS OR TESTS OR CHECKUPS.

IT’S ABOUT PEOPLE AND PROGRESS AND QUALITY OF LIFE.

HEALTH CARE’S IMPACT ISN’T LIMITED TO THE HOSPITAL ROOM…IT EXTENDS TO THE BOARDROOM, AND THE CLASSROOM, AND THE COURTROOM.

HEALTH CARE AFFECTS ALL OF US AT ALL STAGES OF LIFE…THOSE IN THE DAWN, THE SHADOWS, OR THE DUSK OF LIFE.

THINK ABOUT ALL THE WAYS HEALTH CARE IMPACTS US.

HEALTH CARE IS AN ECONOMIC ISSUE.

ANYONE WHO HAS EVER PAID AN INSURANCE CLAIM…OR THE COSTS OF A CATASTROPHIC SURGERY…OR JUST BOUGHT PRESCRIPTION DRUGS KNOWS THAT HEALTH CARE HAS A HUGE IMPACT ON THE FAMILY BUDGET, AS WELL AS THE FEDERAL BUDGET.

HEALTH CARE IS A NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE.

AFTER 9-11 WE SAW THE NEED FOR QUALITY EMERGENCY ROOM SERVICE AND FOR TALENTED AND FEARLESS EMTS.

AND JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO IN THE GULF COAST, WE SAW THAT EVEN MOTHER NATURE CAN CREATE A HEALTH CARE CRISIS OVERNIGHT.

HEALTH CARE IS A FOREIGN POLICY ISSUE.

THE AIDS EPIDEMIC IN AFRICA THREATENS TO DESTROY AN ENTIRE CONTINENT.

THAT’S WHY SO MANY OF US IN CONGRESS SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT’S EFFORTS TO END THE SUFFERING THROUGH HIS MILLENIUM CHALLENGE.

HEALTH CARE IS ALSO A LEGAL ISSUE.

THERE ARE TOO MANY LAWSUITS DRIVING TOO MANY DOCTORS OUT OF BUSINESS.

WE NEED COMMON SENSE TO END MEDICAL LAWSUIT ABUSE.

BUT ABOVE ALL, HEALTH CARE IS A SPIRITUAL ISSUE.

IT SPEAKS TO WHO WE ARE AS A PEOPLE…AND WHAT WE VALUE AS A NATION.

IT ASKS IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WELL-BEING OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE — THE YOUNG, THE OLD, AND THE DISADVANTAGED.

THE ISSUE OF HEALTH CARE FORCES US TO ASK: CAN WE REALLY ALLOW SO MANY TEENAGERS TO CONTINUE DOWN THE DEADLY PATH OF OBESITY?

AND CAN WE CONTINUE TO CALL OURSELVES THE FREEST NATION IN THE WORLD WHEN 45 MILLION AMERICANS HAVE NO HEALTH INSURANCE?

LET ME TAKE JUST A FEW MOMENTS AND DISCUSS WITH YOU MY TWO MAIN PRIORITIES WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTH CARE: PREVENTION AND PROTECTION.

FIRST, QUALITY HEALTH CARE BEGINS WITH PREVENTION.

AND MORE SPECIFICALLY, IT BEGINS WITH OUR CHILDREN.

MOST OF US KNOW THAT IF WE DON’T SPEND TIME EXERCISING, WE ARE GOING TO SPEND TIME BEING SICK.

BUT HAVE WE TAUGHT OUR CHILDREN THIS?

THE STATISTICS SUGGEST WE HAVEN’T.

OBESITY KILLS MORE THAN 300,000 AMERICANS EACH YEAR.

AND MORE THAN 15% OF AMERICAN KIDS BETWEEN THE AGES OF SIX AND 19 ARE OVERWEIGHT.

THAT’S NEARLY A 100% INCREASE SINCE THE 1970S.

SO WE HAVE A PROBLEM…BUT WE ALSO HAVE A SOLUTION.

A GROWING – AND I MEAN LITERALLY GROWING – PROBLEM IN AMERICA IS OBESITY IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS.

THE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE REPORTS THAT THERE ARE TWICE THE NUMBER OF OVERWEIGHT ADOLESCENTS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 12 AND 19 AND THREE TIMES THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 6 AND 11 YEARS OLD AS THERE WAS 30 YEARS AGO.

THE SAME REPORT STATED THAT OBESITY-ASSOCIATED ANNUAL HOSPITAL COSTS FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS MORE THAN TRIPLED OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES.

THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL ESTIMATES THE ANNUAL COST RELATED TO OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY IN THE UNITED STATES IS $264 BILLION, WHICH EXCEEDS THE COST OF TOBACCO-RELATED ILLNESSES AND APPEARS TO BE RISING DRAMATICALLY.

WE WILL SOON BE RE-INTRODUCING LEGISLATION ALONG WITH CONGRESSWOMAN MARY BONO OF CALIFORNIA TO HELP PROMOTE COMMON SENSE STEPS TO FIGHT THE COMMON PROBLEM OF OBESITY IN YOUNG PEOPLE.

OUR KIDS NEED BETTER NUTRITION, MORE EXERCISE, AND GREATER INVOLVEMENT FROM THEIR PARENTS.

MY BILL ALLOWS THE SECRETARY TO AWARD GRANTS TO TRAIN PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS AND OTHER HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ON HOW TO BETTER IDENTIFY, TREAT, AND PREVENT OBESITY.

IT WILL PROVIDE GRANTS TO COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO CONDUCT A VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE DEMONSTRATED SOME BENEFIT FOR CURBING OBESITY.

THESE COULD INCLUDE SPECIFIC COMMUNITY INTERVENTIONS, SCHOOL-BASED ACTIVITIES, AND HEALTH CARE DELIVERY PROGRAMS.

IT WILL ALLOW STATES TO USE THEIR PREVENTATIVE SERVICES BLOCK GRANT MONEY FOR COMMUNITY EDUCATION ON NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.

IT WILL ALSO REQUIRE THE SECRETARY TO REPORT ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN ALMOST-COMPLETED DEMONSTRATION PROJECT THAT IS YOUTH MEDIA CAMPAIGN DONE BY THE CDC.

THIS PROGRAM WAS CALLED THE VERB PROGRAM AND INITIAL REPORTS SHOWED THAT THIS PROGRAM RESULTED IN A 31 PERCENT INCREASE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR YOUTHS AGES 9-13.

BUT SOME PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY PASSED THE POINT OF PREVENTION.

THEY ARE SICK…AND THEY NEED HELP.

MOST AMERICANS HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE TO HELP THEM GET THE CARE THEY NEED AT A PRICE THEY CAN AFFORD.

BUT NOT ALL AMERICANS.

TODAY, 45 MILLION OF OUR FELLOW CITIZENS HAVE NO HEALTH INSURANCE AT ALL.

IN FACT, THE PROBLEM MUSHROOMS WHEN YOU TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT MANY OF THE UNINSURED PASS THAT LEGACY ON TO THEIR CHILDREN.

AN ASTOUNDING 8.4 MILLION CHILDREN ARE UNINSURED – THAT MEANS THAT 20% OF THE UNINSURED ARE CHILDREN.

THE PROBLEM STARTS AT BIRTH.

UNINSURED PARENTS GIVE BIRTH TO UNINSURED CHILDREN.

THIS SITUATION IS ONE THAT CAN BE REMEDIED.

HERE IS HOW IT WOULD WORK.

MY BILL PROVIDES EACH INDIVIDUAL WITH AN UP-FRONT TAX CREDIT TOWARD THE PURCHASE OF HEALTH INSURANCE: $1,000 FOR INDIVIDUALS, $2,000 FOR MARRIED COUPLES, AND $500 PER DEPENDENT UP TO $3,000 PER FAMILY, PLUS 50% OF ANY ADDITIONAL PREMIUM TO HELP THOSE WHO HAVE HIGHER COSTS.

EXPERTS SAY THIS LEGISLATION WOULD CUT THE NUMBER OF UNINSURED BY AT LEAST 50%, BUT MAYBE AS MUCH AS 80%.

THE CRITICS SAY THIS APPROACH IS TOO COSTLY.

BUT THE CRITICS KNOW THE COST OF EVERYTHING AND THE VALUE OF NOTHING.

THIS IS A COMMON SENSE WAY TO BRING HELP AND HOPE TO THOSE WITHOUT HEALTH CARE AND WITHOUT HOPE.

HOWEVER, HEALTH CARE BEGINS WITH EVERY INDIVIDUAL.

STATISTICS SHOW THAT TEXAS IS ONE OF THE FATTEST STATES IN THE UNION.

AND UNTIL RECENTLY, FORT WORTH HAD THE DISTINCTION OF BEING ONE OF THE FATTEST CITIES IN THE COUNTRY.

MY PURPOSE IN COMBATING THIS IS TO FOCUS, AGAIN, ON OUR CHIDLREN.

EVERY YEAR I ISSUE A FITNESS CHALLENGE TO THE YOUNG KIDS OF FORT WORTH IN MY DISTRICT.

THE PURPOSE IS TO CHALLENGE THE YOUNG PEOPLE TO PARTIPATE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY RATHER THAN ENGAGING IN UNHEALTHY LIFESTYLES THAT CAN LEAD TO OBESITY.

TO PARTICIPATE, KIDS HAVE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ANNUAL 5K RUN, CALLED THE BOMBAY YOUTH 5K RUN, DEVELOP A TRAINING ROUTINE AND MAINTAIN A FITNESS LOG.

YOUTHS WHO COMPLETE THEIR FITNESS LOGS AND FINISH THE RUN ARE HONORED AT A RECOGNITION CEREMONY.

THE KIDS LOVE COMING OUT AND DOING THE RUN.

LAST YEAR WE HAD OVER 550 YOUNG KIDS COMPLETE THE FITNESS CHALLENGE.

AN EVENT LIKE MY FITNESS CHALLENGE NOT ONLY GETS THE KIDS TO EXERCISE, BUT IT ALSO GETS THEM THIKING.

ASIDE FROM THINKING, “WHY ARE MY PARENTS MAKING ME KEEP A FITNESS LOG, AND WHO IS CONGRESSWOMAN GRANGER?” --- THEY’RE ALSO THINKING “MAYBE THIS IS IMPORTANT.”

I CAN’T STRESS ENOUGH HOW AS PARENTS, EDUCATORS AND LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE NEED TO TEACH THIS LESSON TO OUR KIDS EARLY ON.

THE LESSON IS: HEALTH CARE IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.

NOT ONLY DO WE NEED TO STRESS TO OUR KIDS THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING HEALTHY BUT ALSO WE NEED TO BE ROLE MODELS FOR THEM.

THE EXPRESSION, “DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO” WON’T WORK HERE.

NOT IF WE WANT TO EFFECTIVELY COMBAT THIS PROBLEM.

ESPECIALLY NOT WHEN WE KNOW OBESITY IS LINKED TO DISEASES LIKE HEART DISEASE AND DIABETES AND IS LARGELY PREVENTABLE.

AND WE ALL HAVE A PART TO PLAY.

I TAKE THAT PART SERIOUSLY.

THROUGH PROGRAMS LIKE THE VERB PROGRAM AND THE IMPACT ACT, AND LOCALLY WITH MY FITNESS CHALLENGE, I AM TRYING TO GET US ONE STEP CLOSER TO BEING A HEALTHIER NATION.

I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY.

YOUR EFFORTS ARE THE REASON WE HAVE MADE THE PROGRESS WE HAVE IN THIS BATTLE.

I AM CONFIDENT THAT IF WE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY NOT ONLY FOR OUR OWN HEALTH BUT ALSO FOR TEACHING OUR KIDS THESE LESSONS, WE WILL BE ON THE ROAD TO A HEALTHIER SOCIETY.

IT’S A BATTLE WE CAN WIN.

IT’S A BATTLE WE WILL WIN.

THANK YOU.