Children

Statement of Peter Lurie, M.D., M.P.H., Deputy Director, Public Citizen’s Health Research Group

March 9, 2009 -- Friday’s approval of SyntheMed’s REPEL-CV, which is designed to reduce post-surgical scarring in children following open-heart surgery, once again demonstrates the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) low standard for approving medical devices. On the heels of the FDA’s approval of ReGen’s Menaflex implant, this approval further shows the agency’s willingness to approve a device that has failed to demonstrate any clinical benefit.    » read more »

03/09/2009 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued the following statement today in support of extending AFDC-FC benefits to California’s foster youth up to the age of 21:

“I am committed to working with Assembly Speaker Karen Bass and Senate Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg on a bipartisan solution that ensures our children and youth in foster care are provided with the tools needed to succeed at life. Along with our federal partners, together we can better equip our youth by making sure they continue to have access to important resources and services as they transition into adulthood. I look forward to continue working across the aisle with the legislature and our federal and local partners on an issue important to so many Californians.”    » read more »

March 5, 2009 -- JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Missouri Governor Jay Nixon today released the following statement on Wednesday's House vote against an amendment to expand S-CHIP funding in the FY09 supplemental budget bill:

"Yesterday, the Missouri House of Representatives turned down an opportunity to provide health care to 2,000 Missouri children, eliminate premiums for 19,000 others and take the first step to enroll 20,000 more children.

By refusing to make a minimal investment of $1.9 million in the health of our kids, House Republicans turned away $5.5 million in federal matching funds from the Children's Health Insurance Program and sent a disappointing signal that health care for Missouri children is not one of their priorities.    » read more »

March 4, 2009 -- Statement of Charles D. Connor, American Lung Association President and CEO:

Today in Washington, the Congress has moved one big step closer to ending the grip Big Tobacco has on our nation’s health. The U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee sent the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (HR 1256) to the full House for its consideration. Passage of this important bill will provide the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urgently needed regulatory control over the tobacco industry.    » read more »

Statement of American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Washington, D.C. (March 3, 2009)— Our public health organizations strongly support the bipartisan legislation introduced today to provide the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with effective authority to regulate tobacco products.

There are few steps Congress can take that will make a bigger difference for America’s health than to finally regulate tobacco products, the number one cause of preventable death and disease in the United States.    » read more »

Statement of American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Washington, D.C. (March 2, 2009)— Our public health organizations strongly support the bipartisan legislation introduced today to provide the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with effective authority to regulate tobacco products. There are few steps Congress can take that will make a bigger difference for America’s health than to finally regulate tobacco products, the number one cause of preventable death and disease in the United States.    » read more »

Schools to maintain funding levels, more children to get health care

February 27, 2009 -- Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius has delivered to the legislature amendments to her 2010 budget recommendations that take into account resources available in the Federal Recovery Act. With these amendments, the 2010 budget is balanced, ends with money in the bank and does not raise taxes.

“A budget is based on future projections of available funds and anticipated needs. In the weeks since I first made my recommendations for the 2010 budget, we have seen passage of the Federal Recovery Act which changes our projections of available funds, but does not change the need to protect our investments in schools and protect our most vulnerable citizens,” Sebelius said.    » read more »

February 26, 2009 --WASHINGTON, D.C. – Change to Win chair Anna Burger issued the following statement about President Barack Obama’s proposed budget.

“Budgets are more than series of numbers on a page, they represent our nation’s priorities and how we will tackle the challenges before us to rebuild the American Dream for our children and grandchildren.

“President Obama’s budget represents a new era for working families through a commitment to fiscal responsibility and a willingness to make necessary reforms and critical investments in education, energy, healthcare and infrastructure. It lays the groundwork for a thriving economy where everyone, not just Wall Street fat cats, campaign contributors or Washington insiders, share in our prosperity.    » read more »

February 5th, 2009 -- After Gregory Secrest lost his job at American of Martinsville, a Virginia-based furniture manufacturer, he also lost his access to healthcare.

"When I gave the bad news to my family, my 9-year old son handed me his piggy bank with $4 inside and said 'daddy, if you need it, you take it,'" Secrest said.

But thanks to FAMIS, Virginia’s State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), the Secrest children will be covered.

"In a decent society, there are certain obligations that are not subject to tradeoffs or negotiations, and health care for our children is one of those obligations," the President said in remarks before signing legislation that reauthorizes federal funding for the CHIP programs and expands its coverage from 7 to 11 million children.    » read more »

Health Groups Win Victory for Children’s Safety

Feb. 5, 2009 -- NEW YORK - In a victory for children’s health and consumer safety, a federal judge today said children’s toys and childcare products laden with harmful chemicals called phthalates must come off store shelves, ruling in favor of the Natural Resources Defense Council and Public Citizen in a lawsuit against the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

NRDC and Public Citizen filed the lawsuit in December, following a CPSC attempt to create a loophole in the congressionally mandated ban, which goes into effect February 10, 2009. The loophole would have allowed retailers to stockpile and continue selling dangerous products as long as they were manufactured before the ban date.    » read more »

Governor Paterson Joined President Obama Today at the White House for the Signing of Significant Federal Health Care Legislation

February 4, 2009 -- "Today we celebrate a huge step forward in our efforts in New York State and across this nation to ensure that all children get the opportunity to grow up healthy. I applaud President Obama and Congress for working quickly to achieve consensus on bipartisan legislation reauthorizing the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). I also want to thank the members of the New York Congressional Delegation for working so diligently to ensure that the bill meets the needs of New York’s uninsured children.    » read more »

CHIP

February 4th, 2009 -- President Obama signed the Chidlren's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIP) tonight, which renews and expands the plan from 7 million children affected to 11 million.

"This is only the first step," he said. "As I see it, providing coverage for 11 million children is a down payment on my commitment to cover every single American."

We'll have more on CHIP tomorrow, but there's one more thing worth noting -- President Obama is sending a new message, loud and clear, to opponents of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan.

It came first in remarks this afternoon, following an announcement of strict new executive compensation rules:    » read more »

February 4, 2009 -- Trenton - New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine applauded the passage of federal legislation expanding the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and thanked President Obama for expeditiously signing the bill into law today.

“With President Obama, we finally have a partner in Washington who understands the value of protecting and improving the health of our most vulnerable children,” Governor Corzine said. “When SCHIP was founded and passed in 1997, it was struck as a partnership between the states and the federal government. Now, through a renewed collaboration, millions of children in our country, over 128,000 children in New Jersey alone, will continue to have their health insurance needs met.    » read more »

02/04/2009 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued the statement below following President Obama’s signing of bipartisan legislation reauthorizing the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to provide states with a stable source of funding for four and a half years. In California, SCHIP is the primary source of funding for Healthy Families, which covers hundreds of thousands of children whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medi-Cal but who can’t afford private insurance.    » read more »

January 27, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Lip Gloss Keychains

Units: About 75,000

Importer: Markwins Beauty Products, of City of Industry, Calif.

Hazard: The metal clasp attached to the keychain contains high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.    » read more »