Pelosi Statement Following House Introduction of SCHIP Legislation

Pelosi Statement Following House Introduction of SCHIP Legislation

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Contact:Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. â€" Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today after House Members introduced bipartisan legislation to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to cover 11 million children. Similar bipartisan legislation was vetoed twice by President Bush in 2007.

"Today, the House took the first step to achieve one of the top health care priorities for the new Congress: providing health care to 11 million children from working families. This legislation preserves the health coverage of 7 million children and extends it to 4 million uninsured children who are currently eligible for, but not enrolled in, SCHIP and Medicaid.

"At a time of economic crisis, nothing could be more essential than ensuring that the children of hardworking families receive the quality care they deserve. With more than 2.6 million jobs lost last year alone, Americans are seeing the health care they and their children depend on disappear. By helping working families find affordable health care coverage, this bipartisan legislation will ensure that 11 million of America’s children grow up healthy, strong, and ready to learn.

"This bipartisan, fully-paid-for children’s health insurance bill represents the New Direction many Members fought for in the last Congress, and it is only the beginning of the change we will achieve with our new President. We look forward to this legislation being among the first bills President Obama will sign into law."