| The House of Representatives voted today to pass the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009.
The bill passed 289 to 139 and two of New York's new Democratic congressmen, Congressman Dan Maffei and Congressman Eric Massa, both voted in support of the legislation.
Congressman Maffei had this to say about passing this key (and progressive) legislation:
"Congress took an important step today by passing the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization Act. Our latest estimation is that New York has 651,853 children currently enrolled in SCHIP. At this time of economic crisis, as we end a year when 2.6 million Americans lost their jobs, it is increasingly urgent that no children fall through the cracks and simultaneously we expand the opportunities for more working families to raise healthy children.
Today's expansion of SCHIP will insure four million additional children and gives states increased control over which families qualify for coverage. This is incredibly important for New York, where many of our families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but still struggle to afford other healthcare.
This is an important step to insuring more children, but I stress that this is only a step. It is exciting that one of President Obama's first official acts will be signing this into law-but again, this will only be the first step in what I expect will be a long and productive relationship with the Obama administration as we face a healthcare crisis. This legislation will insure 11 million American children, but I believe we can and should do more.
It makes no sense that we would allow any child to go without healthcare. Insuring our children will improve preventive care, detection and treatment earlier in a patients' life, and control our healthcare costs over the long run. I look forward to fighting for expanded coverage of all children."
Congressman Massa also spoke on passage of this bill, saying that "protecting the health of our children is not only the right thing to do, it is an imperative":
"Protecting the health of our children is not only the right thing to do, it is an imperative," said Congressman Eric Massa. "The United States has always been a leader in the world and today we have taken the lead on this issue. I am proud to have helped pass this bill which will help over 11 million children have access to health care."
The major change from the vetoed bill is the inclusion of an option for states to eliminate the 5-year waiting period for low-income uninsured children who are legally in the U.S. This expansion of children's health care will be funded by revenue from a 61 cent levy on packs of cigarettes. This plan, like both versions vetoed by President Bush during the 110th Congress, addresses the concerns of opponents by expressly excluding coverage for illegal aliens. The expanded bill does include special provisions for pregnant women and the children of Native Americans.
"I was sent to Washington to serve the families of my district," said Rep. Massa. "Today we have come together to pass a bill that's not only revenue neutral, but it also does the right thing. We have a moral obligation to improve the health of our next generation. SCHIP, or Child Health Plus as it's known in New York, is a critical first step in rebuilding and strengthening America's future," said Congressman Eric Massa.
"I'm proud to be a part of a New Direction Congress which has passed this bill and I hope the Senate follows suit quickly so that President-Elect Obama can sign this important bill in his first few days in office."
This is important because SCHIP was one of the many things we could not get through in the last Congress. Now, with a stronger majority in the House and Senate, we are able to get this bill through with strong bi-partisan support.
It should be noted that 40 Republicans, including Rep. Chris Lee, voted in support of this legislation.
This is a great day for children and a great day for our health care system throughout the country. |
