John Bel Edwards: “on behalf of 11 million children in our Nation and their families, I rise in opposition to this ill-advised motion to…”

“on behalf of 11 million children in our Nation and their families, I rise in opposition to this ill-advised motion to recommit. Unbelievably, this motion would only reauthorize the children's health insurance program for only 1 year, only 1 year. So what we have here is the same Members of Congress who fought passionately to guarantee a permanent $220,000 tax break for people making over $1 million a year are saying right now we should only guarantee health care for children from low-income working families for 1 year. What's fair about that? Think about it. Permanent tax breaks for the wealthiest 1 percent, but only a 1-year extension of health care for children of low-income working families. Is that the new face of passionate conservatism? If my Republican colleagues actually think for one moment that this proposal to cut millions of children short reflects American family values, it is clear proof just how out of touch they have become with the values and priorities of hard-working American families. Let me clear up one myth, the myth that this motion is somehow about keeping illegal immigrants from receiving SCHIP insurance. The truth is that under present law and in this reauthorization, illegal immigrants do not qualify for SCHIP benefits, period. This is nothing more than an overused, worn-out, divisive fear-driven tactic with no basis in fact.”