Political Quotes

“I rise this morning to once again implore this Congress to take bipartisan action to extend Federal funding of the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP. In my home State of Pennsylvania, more than 176,000 children have gained access to affordable, comprehensive healthcare coverage through CHIP, providing them with age-appropriate medical and developmental care. Since the program became law, the percentage of uninsured children nationwide has decreased by more than half, from 13.9 percent in 1997 to 6.6 percent in 2016. As a result of its reliability and effectiveness, CHIP has consistently enjoyed strong bipartisan support. In September, I joined a bipartisan group from across Pennsylvania in urging leaders of both parties to take action to ensure that children have access to high- quality health insurance coverage during their formative years, a move we know yields an abundance of positive outcomes: fewer hospitalizations, increased earning power, and better healthcare outcomes as an adult. While this Chamber has already taken action, passing legislation last month to fund CHIP, the Senate has yet to act. It is crucial we provide certainty and security for children, parents, and providers and move to sign into law CHIP extension legislation as soon as possible. Mr. Speaker, the time is now for the Senate to act. ____________________”