On the recordJuly 17, 2007
as the body here begins the debate on the SCHIP reauthorization plan, separate from Medicaid, I would encourage my colleagues not to lose sight of the purpose of this program, which is insuring underprivileged children. When we created this program in 1997, it was intended to provide health insurance for children at or around 200 percent of the poverty line. Today in States like Minnesota, almost 40,000 people are enrolled in SCHIP; 34,000 of them are adults. The Democrats want to expand this program up to 400 percent of the Federal poverty line. This type of expansion would allow a family of four with an income level of more than $80,000 to be eligible for the SCHIP program in some parts of this country. Let's get our priorities straight. We want to provide insurance for underprivileged children, not adults who can afford to pay for it themselves.
Source
govinfo.gov
