Quadsville

Sitting there as I listened to President Obama's inaugural address, I was amazed by the sea of people stretching all the way back to the Lincoln Memorial. It was a sight I will never forget. I thought President Obama's speech was excellent. It was optimistic but realistic. It rightly called for an end to the bitter politics that have divided Washington for too long. It clearly laid out the challenges facing our nation: putting people back to work, reforming our energy policy, and making health care more affordable.

He provided clear examples from history where the American people overcame great odds. No one thinks the years ahead will be easy. But I am confident that President Obama will lead the way to a better and brighter future.

What did you guys think?

With our economy in recession, more and more working families are struggling to afford health care. This week, Congress will take long overdue action to cover additional uninsured children under the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

Since its creation in 1997, SCHIP has succeeded in providing health care coverage for more than 6 million children of families whose incomes are too high to qualify for Medicaid but too low to buy private insurance.

In the 110^th Congress, I voted twice to expand SCHIP to cover 4 million additional children, but both measures were vetoed by President Bush. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), a staunch conservative, said: “I think the President’s had some pretty bad advice on this.” Senator Hatch was right.

Fortunately, there is a new sheriff in town. President-elect Barack Obama has expressed his support for an expansion of SCHIP. He understands that we have a moral obligation to provide our children with the best health care possible.

Over 280,000 Illinois children are currently enrolled in SCHIP. This bill would cover 154,000 more. After years of indifference, these children and their families will finally have a chief executive that stands up for them.  

I look forward to voting for this important legislation this week.