Sheldon Whitehouse: “As I have traveled around Rhode Island, I have met so many families who worry about health care. Will their child fall…”

“As I have traveled around Rhode Island, I have met so many families who worry about health care. Will their child fall ill? Will the price of prescription drugs or a visit to the doctor go up again? As health care costs skyrocket and the number of uninsured Americans approaches a staggering 50 million, we have a solemn obligation to make health care more accessible and affordable. This obligation is not new. For decades, our Government has treated it as one of the most sacred promises we keep with the American people, and it has been one of our best opportunities to just plain do the right thing. Initiatives such as Medicare and Medicaid are among our greatest accomplishments. The Children's Health Insurance Program is a shining light in the American health care system, providing health coverage to millions of American children whose families could not otherwise afford insurance. Since its creation in 1997, the Children's Health Insurance Program has given children in America's working families better access to medical care for common conditions such as asthma or ear infections, better school attendance rates, better academic achievement, better medical access, and more preventive care. It means that children stay out of expensive urgent care settings such as the emergency room. The Children's Health Insurance Program is among the singular health care success stories of our generation.”