Wasserman Schultz: Congress Must Reauthorize CHIP

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) issued the following statement on the need for Congress to reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provides funding for uninsured children:

“Health care for hundreds of thousands of children in Florida is in jeopardy because Republicans refuse to hold a vote on the CHIP program before it expires Saturday. This may force some states into enrollment freezes or other budget stresses. Experts also predict that the recent hurricanes are likely to exacerbate these shortfalls, since need will spike in hard-hit states. As Democrats, we cannot allow this vital program with longstanding bipartisan support to languish even one day. In Florida alone, CHIP has helped lower the child uninsured rate from 11 percent to nearly 6 percent over three years, according to one study. If Republicans cannot at least protect health care coverage for millions of lower-income children, they have completely lost their moral compass. Congress should not leave town for the weekend without getting this done.”