Children’s Defense Fund Action Council Names Rep. Doris Matsui
One of the “Best Representatives for Children”
Today, Rep. Doris Matsui (CA-05) was named one of the “Best Representatives for Children” by the Children’s Defense Fund Action Council (CDFAC). The CDFAC today released its 2007 Nonpartisan Congressional Scorecard, which grades every Member of Congress based on key votes affecting children, and Rep. Matsui voted to protect the health and well being of California’s children 100 percent of the time. Rep. Matsui achieved this distinction by voting to support the first increase in the minimum wage in a decade, access and quality improvements in Head Start, and additional funds for student loans.
“I applaud Congresswoman Matsui for her commitment to improving the lives of children in California,” said CDFAC President Marian Wright Edelman. “With 9.4 million uninsured children in America and nearly 13 million living in poverty, it is critical that we have Representatives committed to making children a priority. Representative Matsui is a dedicated advocate for children and has truly earned the distinction of being one of the best Representatives for children.”
In addition to voting 100 percent of the time in favor of our nation’s youth, Rep. Matsui has been a champion for the National Children’s Study, the country’s largest, most comprehensive study of the environmental factors affecting the health of children. The Study will seek to analyze how environmental factors impact many of the most pressing diseases affecting children’s health, and is the first study of its kind. It will examine important issues and seeks to identify the root causes of many childhood and adult diseases, from autism and diabetes to obesity and premature birth. The overall goal of the Study is to improve the health and well-being of American children now and far into the future.
“Since coming to Congress, I have made children’s health one of my top priorities. It is only by investing in the health and well-being of our nation’s youth that we can be certain that the next generation of American kids grows up healthier than the last,” said Rep. Matsui.
“There has been an alarming trend of diseases and conditions affecting our nation’s youth in recent years. Despite repeated attempts by this Administration to cut funding for this vital research on children’s health, I will continue to fight in Congress for what will benefit our children and grandchildren now and in the long run,” said Matsui.
