A vote on SCHIP, the State Children’s Health Insurance Plan, is expected to come before both houses of Congress this week. Both houses have previously passed their own versions of the bill and it is the conference bill that will be voted on. The bill reauthorizes funding for this essential program, bringing an additional 9 million uninsured children into the program.
From a LWV Action Alert I received:
Over the past ten years, SCHIP has dramatically improved children’s access to health care, and has made great strides in covering children. The program covers children from low-income families who do not qualify for Medicaid. As of today, SCHIP is only authorized through September 30, 2007, which is fast approaching. It is the right time to improve and strengthen SCHIP to further increase access to affordable, comprehensive, equitable, and quality health coverage for all of our nation’s children. As a direct result of this program the percentage of low-income children in the United States without health coverage has fallen by one-third in the past decade even as employer-based coverage has decreased.
We need to contact our Senators and Representatives and urge them to vote for this bill. Our children deserve nothing less.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
Vivian,
George Bush is about to veto a bill that will send 35 million kids onto the streets without health care. This will make for amazing press, but as with the Iraq war those that suffer will get the bad end of the stick. This is a very sad situation. George Bush -again a compassionate conservative.
Thanks,
I already took care of my kids health care. The federal government is not the right place to do charity. The State of Virginia is still free to handle this, as well as the various counties these children live in.
Roci,
Since when is it charity to use our tax payer dollars and others including the poor for children’s health care. I hope all our taxes aren’t just to pay for future wars. Some people are not in position to pay for mortgages, health care, cars, and other expenses that you evidently are. My vision of America including the wording on the Statue of Liberty went down the drain with your comment.