Children's Health

This is an issue that I think Democrats need to push to the forefront. Republicans do nothing to improve the circumstances of children. Children are innocent, they are born into a family with no choice. They are not lazy or corrupt or criminals, they are little babies just like ours. They deserve our support and the support of our nation. Yet, here are the simple facts:

Infant Mortality - U.S. ranks 40th in the world, behind such super powers as France, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Hong Kong, Luxenbourg, Sweden, and the Czech Republic.

Uninsured Infants - There are between 8 and 9 million uninsured infants in this country.

Immunizations - Somewhere around 80% of our children are immunized against preventable diseases, with that percentage being as low as 55% in some areas.

Children in Poverty - Rose from 15.8 percent in 2001 to 16.3 percent in 2002. This increase followed a period of decline from a recent peak of 22.0 percent in 1993, it declined during the Clinton years and now increases under Bush.

Children are not a priority in the United States right now, wealth is. We need to change that.