Jay Rockefeller: “I hope Members on both sides of the aisle will vote for this amendment offered by my colleagues from Rhode Island and…”

“I hope Members on both sides of the aisle will vote for this amendment offered by my colleagues from Rhode Island and Louisiana, Senators Chafee and Breaux. It is the kind of amendment that deserves strong support from this body. There is absolutely no reason for welfare reform to cause innocent children to lose health insurance. We can and we should enact a bill that is very tough and very clear about requiring adults to work or prepare for work if they want to get public assistance. But we do need to pass the Chafee-Breaux amendment to make sure that children who are eligible for Medicaid do not lose their health coverage as we change the welfare system. We need to pass this amendment to make sure that losing health care is not the price of leaving welfare and getting a job. Mr. President, with this amendment, we are not proposing a new benefit or new spending. We are just trying to protect the way that poor children now can see a doctor when they're sick, get their vaccinations and their checkups, and receive basic medical care. Up to 1.5 million children and 4 million parents are at serious risk of losing their Medicaid coverage unless this amendment prevails. Mr. President, I truly believe the American people, including West Virginians, want us to adopt this amendment. The public has made it very clear that they expect Congress to make distinctions between responsible reform and reckless change.”