For Immediate Release
August 3, 2007
For More Information Contact:
Ed Shelleby
(202) 662-3602
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Children’s Defense Fund President Marian Wright Edelman today released the following statement applauding the House and Senate for passing legislation to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) with program expansions to cover more uninsured children. Edelman also called on the conferees to maintain the House’s $50 billion in funding.
“Congress made a bipartisan commitment to provide $50 billion to expand and improve SCHIP this year. Although the House of Representatives-passed SCHIP bill has kept that promise, the Senate bill doesn’t go as far, including only $35 billion for child health coverage. While $50 billion is not enough to cover all children, it is a good down payment, and I urge conferees to stand strong to maintain the full $50 billion from the House-passed bill, which will cover a million more children and allow states to adopt program improvements such as express lane eligibility, dental coverage for children, and coverage of legal immigrant children and pregnant women. Every dollar in this package is a step toward a stronger future for our children. The long-term consequences to society of not investing in all children are enormous. Congress needs to do what is right this year and make this investment in our children, our future.”
For more information on CDF’s campaign to provide health coverage to all children, please visit www.childrensdefense.org/healthychild.
For more information about the Children’s Defense Fund, visit www.childrensdefense.org.