Statement by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Ranking Member of the Committee on Finance
News Conference on Legislation to Reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
The bill before the Senate carries out the SCHIP policy that President Bush laid out in 2004, when he said his administration would "lead an aggressive effort to enroll millions of poor children who are eligible but not signed up for the government’s health insurance programs."
I hope the President will reconsider his opposition to this bill.
Republicans and Democrats in Congress are working together to reach as many as four million more children. About half the new money in our bipartisan legislation is just to keep the program running for the kids already on it. The rest goes to enroll new kids.
Above all, the legislation gets the children’s health insurance program back on track by making states enroll low-income children and cutting off adult coverage through the program. It’s good policy.
After SCHIP, I agree with President Bush that we need tax incentives to help more low-income families get health insurance. We’ll reach many more children that way, and I look forward to working on legislation to reach those goals.