February 06,2001

Grassley, Kennedy, Sessions, Waxman to Re-introduce Family Opportunity Act


Event: News conference

Participants: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Finance Committee chairman

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), HELP Committee ranking member

Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), Rules Committee member

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), Commerce Subcommittee on Health and Environment member

the Arnolds, the family of a child with multiple medical needs

Date/time: Thursday, Feb. 8, 2001, at 11:15 a.m.

Location:  215 Dirksen Senate Office Building (the Finance Committee hearing room)

Description:  Sens. Grassley and Kennedy and Reps. Sessions and Waxman will hold a news conference to announce the re-introduction of their bill to improve the health services available for children with multiple medical needs and ease their families' financial hardships.

Last year, the Family Opportunity Act netted 78 bipartisan Senate co-sponsors and 143 bipartisan House co-sponsors. The bill's widespread appeal came from the grass-roots stories of thousands of families nationwide who face sharp income limitations to keep their children eligible for much-needed Medicaid. Joining the members of Congress will be Melissa Arnold and her sons Adam, 11, and Daniel, 18. The Arnolds must remain impoverished to preserve Adam's access to Medicaid. They live in Ellicott City, Md., and are originally from Red Oak, Iowa.