Press Releases
Senator Roberts: Congress Passes SCHIP Compromise; Bill Provides Healthcare to More Uninsured Children
Sep 28 2007
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts late last night voted to support the State Children’s Health Insurance Program reauthorization compromise bill (H.R. 976) to make the critical program available to an estimated 4 million low-income children who would otherwise be uninsured. The Senate approved the House/Senate agreement by a vote of 67-29.
“I know there are some who feel this bill is too expensive and there are others who feel this bill doesn’t go far enough,” Senator Roberts said. “However, this bill finds a middle ground and represents a good compromise with the ultimate goal of reaching those children who should be covered under SCHIP, but still remain without health care coverage. I urge the President not to veto this important legislation.”
Senator Roberts went on to say, “While I understand the concerns with the tobacco tax increase contained in this bill, we are facing a difficult budgetary situation in this Congress known as pay-go. This means that any new spending must be offset by reductions in other spending or increases in taxes. I could not in good conscience support any reductions in programs such as Medicare or Medicaid, on which so many Kansans rely upon to survive, in order to pay for SCHIP reauthorization. I also did not think it was responsible to add to the deficit with an increase in funding for this program. This left us with limited options.
“I am also very disappointed that many have been mischaracterizing what this bill actually does. This bill does not cover illegal immigrants, it does not allow for SCHIP funds to cover abortions, it does not grant families making over $80,000 SCHIP coverage, and it does not change the definition of a child to age 25. In fact, this bill takes the necessary steps to ensure these policies do not and cannot happen. I hope we can all look past these false rumors and support the great benefits this bill will bring to our hardworking Kansas families and their children. I know that my choice to support this bill is the right choice to make sure our children get the health care coverage they need and deserve to remain healthy and active. ”
The compromise achieves significant goals for reform championed by Senator Roberts at the beginning of debate on the bill. These reforms include: not allowing states to cover adults under the program, focusing SCHIP on low income children, and improving outreach to encourage enrollment of eligible children, particularly in rural areas.
This bill also addresses the importance of including the private market in the SCHIP program. The compromise gives states the ability to provide premium assistance for children to get health care coverage through the private market rather than relying on SCHIP.
“I am proud to support this important bill, which will provide health care coverage to millions of children whose families would otherwise be unable to afford health care. This bill continues the historic bipartisan support of the SCHIP program and I’m glad my colleagues and I were able to put politics aside and do what is right for these children. I urge the President to do the same.”
The program needs to be reauthorized or extended prior to its expiration September 30, 2007. The approved bill now goes to the President for his consideration.
Senator Roberts is a member of the Senate Committee on Finance and the Senate Health, Education Labor and Pensions Committee.
-30-
“I know there are some who feel this bill is too expensive and there are others who feel this bill doesn’t go far enough,” Senator Roberts said. “However, this bill finds a middle ground and represents a good compromise with the ultimate goal of reaching those children who should be covered under SCHIP, but still remain without health care coverage. I urge the President not to veto this important legislation.”
Senator Roberts went on to say, “While I understand the concerns with the tobacco tax increase contained in this bill, we are facing a difficult budgetary situation in this Congress known as pay-go. This means that any new spending must be offset by reductions in other spending or increases in taxes. I could not in good conscience support any reductions in programs such as Medicare or Medicaid, on which so many Kansans rely upon to survive, in order to pay for SCHIP reauthorization. I also did not think it was responsible to add to the deficit with an increase in funding for this program. This left us with limited options.
“I am also very disappointed that many have been mischaracterizing what this bill actually does. This bill does not cover illegal immigrants, it does not allow for SCHIP funds to cover abortions, it does not grant families making over $80,000 SCHIP coverage, and it does not change the definition of a child to age 25. In fact, this bill takes the necessary steps to ensure these policies do not and cannot happen. I hope we can all look past these false rumors and support the great benefits this bill will bring to our hardworking Kansas families and their children. I know that my choice to support this bill is the right choice to make sure our children get the health care coverage they need and deserve to remain healthy and active. ”
The compromise achieves significant goals for reform championed by Senator Roberts at the beginning of debate on the bill. These reforms include: not allowing states to cover adults under the program, focusing SCHIP on low income children, and improving outreach to encourage enrollment of eligible children, particularly in rural areas.
This bill also addresses the importance of including the private market in the SCHIP program. The compromise gives states the ability to provide premium assistance for children to get health care coverage through the private market rather than relying on SCHIP.
“I am proud to support this important bill, which will provide health care coverage to millions of children whose families would otherwise be unable to afford health care. This bill continues the historic bipartisan support of the SCHIP program and I’m glad my colleagues and I were able to put politics aside and do what is right for these children. I urge the President to do the same.”
The program needs to be reauthorized or extended prior to its expiration September 30, 2007. The approved bill now goes to the President for his consideration.
Senator Roberts is a member of the Senate Committee on Finance and the Senate Health, Education Labor and Pensions Committee.
-30-
