This did not just come about by accident. It came about because of the extraordinary leadership of our chairman and the late Senator Kennedy.

So we have made tremendous advancements in dealing with pediatric dental care as a result of coverage within the Children's Health Insurance Program.

I am confident that in short order Congress can pass a strong and bipartisan extension of CHIP that will last for many years.

This has real consequences if there is delay.

CHIP adds a level of security to the health care of that single mom and others above and beyond Medicaid.

I think our message on this committee needs to be that we see our job as putting kids first.

There is no kicking this can down the road with a short-term bill, and it cannot wait until December.

This program is a lifeline for nearly 9 million children.

With all of the very difficult and complex decisions you have to make about health care in America, surely whether or not to extend CHIP is not one of the hard ones.

This program is a lifeline for almost 9 million vulnerable kids.

We thank Chairman Hatch and Ranking Member Wyden for working together, in a bipartisan fashion, on legislation to ensure the continuation of CHIP funding for the long term.

What we need is to fully fund the program and give States, and more importantly, families, the peace of mind...

That's the prospect families across the country are facing in a matter of weeks if Congress doesn't act.

We recognized that tooth decay is the number one disease affecting children in this country, and it is preventable.

We greatly appreciate the joint statement by Chairman Hatch and Ranking Member Wyden, released on the 20th anniversary of the program.

It does not get any bigger than standing up for vulnerable children.

I very much appreciate what Senator Stabenow and Senator Grassley are trying to do here.

inefficiency wastes money. And if you waste money, you are not dealing with the scarce services.

We urge Congress to support and pass this legislation, S. 1827, the Keep Kids Insurance Dependable and Secure Act of 2017.

I was proud that in the 2009 reauthorization, an amendment I offered to include mandatory dental coverage was included under the CHIP program.

Congress now faces an important decision regarding the future of CHIP during a period of great uncertainty affecting other health-care markets.

I ask you today to continue funding CHIP.

Okay. Well said. You are talking about people getting a signal in a couple of weeks. And if Congress plays stall ball on this, there are going to be real consequences.

America cannot afford not to cover CHIP in a generous kind of way.

The last thing she needs is a government letter stamped 'NOTICE OF TERMINATION' explaining that her sick kids are on their own because CHIP's funding has run out.