I am so glad that the comments under mine have been posted because this bill is a very personal matter to me. I am 22 years old and have a four year old son. I became pregnant in my junior year of high school. I was given the options of adoption, abortion, or keeping my child. I chose to take responsibilties for my actions and keep my son. His father lost his job in February 2007 and has been unwilling to find a new one with any hast. The court has ordered him to carry the insurance for my child, but he fails to meet these requirements. My insurance through my employer was recently raised and I can no longer afford to have both of us insured. Every two weeks it costs me over $150 to insure myself and my son. Keep in mind that I only make ten dollars an hour and work roughly 34 hours per week. I am a full time college student so unfortunately I had to cut back a little at work to make a brighter future for us. After taxes and insurance, i bring home about $350 every two weeks. My mother told me to try to get at least my son on Indiana state insurance. I filled out the application and turned it in. Much to much my dismay, I was denied on the basis that I make too much money. Funny, right?! Well when applying for state assistance, you must list your gross income, not your actual bring home and put in my pocket income. They also made me list any child support that had been court ordered even though I have never seen a penny of it. I am still struggling to make it. All I can think about is one day I will be well off and my son will have anything and everything that he could possibly want or need. When that day comes, I will remember these sleepless, stress-filled nights and will give back to the ones in need. One day, there will be a better system put in place and I will be a part of it, one way or another. I hope all of you that read this remember my story. Please do not feel sorry for me, because that won't help me. Please take my story and spread it. Call your state representatives and senators! Do NOT let this issue pass us by.

This is crazy- in this economy where things continue to be tight and families are struggling without insurance- not everyone has benefits like they representives and senators or have the financial reasouces they have. Cover the children and don't penalilze those families who need help- let families pay in a pre-paid medical ins format- sliding income based if no insurance available at their jobs. Here again they are encouraging people to stay poor and below the proverty level to get help- for some its impossible to get out.

Bush is in bed with the tobacco industry and has been since his beginnings in politics. It's awful that our leader would rather protect a company that makes a product that if used as intended will kill you, but not our nation's children.

I am appauled the members of congress is using our children as a political matter instead of what really needs to be addressed. This bill should only address the children and not have everything else attached to it that is just another ploy for political gain. I think it is a time that we push the younger generation to oust all of the politics and vote people in that is really concerned about what is really needed. These children need help, but the children that can't afford the insurance. I am also sick and tired of the congress just doling out money to people instead of making them look for work. New Orleans is a good example. People from the Hurricane that was devastated they say, is riding around in very expensive vehicles living off of the government, and not doing a thing to imrove their property or trying to move back, and as long as the congress keeps giving them money the hard working people of this country is having to foot the bill. It is time to get the bleeding hearts out of office and correct the system or abolish the IRS so people who work hard for their money don't have to pay for dead beats that now live better than them.

I don't think Bush is taking into consideration the needs of the common people. The kids of low income families need health care!! We also need the parity bill so that we can stop discrimination against the two illnesses. I don't think Bush is in touch with the people.

This bill has become a political football and will probably not be passed by this Congress. Even though the original bill was passed by the Republicans when they were in the majority they are not about to let the Democrats take the credit for expanding health care to our children. What an unfortunate fate awaits us all when health care is in the hands of politicians.

Poverty is poverty. Why penalize childless couples who may be using good sense in not bringing children into their world right now? Are we saying, is this overpopulated world, that bringing an innocent child into this tough situation is best?

Courage is doing what's right, not what's popular. This bill needs to pass and everyone knows it but the Bush administration? That's ludicrous.

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