Congresswoman Lee Supports Reauthorization of SCHIP
For Immediate Release
January 15, 2009
Contact: Nicole Y. Williams
(202) 225-2661
Washington, DC - Yesterday, Congresswoman Barbara Lee voted in support of the reauthorization of H.R. 2, The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). She released this statement:
“Today we will take the long overdue step to expand health insurance coverage to over 11 million children throughout the country. As our nation remains mired in the depths of the worst economic crisis since the great depression, the action we take now could not be more important or more necessary.
“The fact is that the economic policies of the outgoing administration have left our nation in worse shape than we were eight years ago. Today, more people are living in poverty, more people are living without health insurance, and more people are unemployed than they were eight years ago. As always, it is the most vulnerable, the children, who suffer the greatest during tough economic times like these.
“Passage of the SCHIP legislation today will at least help to make life a little easier for four million more children who will receive health coverage under this expanded program.
“Although I strongly support this legislation, I believe it can still be improved, most immediately by removing the citizenship verification requirements that remain in this bill. Ultimately we must move our nation towards a universal health care system to cover all children and all Americans. Nonetheless this bill is an important step forward. The nation’s children have waited far too long for this moment.”
# # #