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Pelosi Statement on Republicans Ransacking Children’s Health with Destructive CHIP Pay-Fors

December 15, 2017

Contact: Ashley Etienne/Henry Connelly, 202-226-7616

San Francisco – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi issued this statement on House Republicans' refusal to pass a responsibly paid-for Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) reauthorization, instead adding the partisan Walden CHIP bill to the GOP's Continuing Resolution:

"As we approach the end of the year, one of the major unresolved priorities is reauthorizing the Children's Health Insurance Program.

"Reauthorizing CHIP is a bipartisan priority that is supported overwhelmingly by the American people. There have been ongoing bipartisan discussions, and Democrats have offered reasonable offsets to pay for CHIP.

"Outside those discussions, unfortunately, Republicans brought to the House floor and put in the CR the Walden bill to fund CHIP that cannibalizes funding for children's immunization and vaccines, for lead poisoning, and for other lifesaving initiatives for the health of hard-working families. It is a non-starter.

"How dare Republicans give a permanent, unpaid-for $1.5 trillion tax rate cut to corporations, while insisting that a temporary 5-year extension of CHIP for 9 million vulnerable children be paid for by ransacking other vital commitments to children's health."

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