Jay Rockefeller: “One of the reasons I am here... is that this is your first day chairing, and I think that is extraordinarily good news…”

I am interested in the children who still have to be reached out to, in the Alabamas and West Virginias and Pennsylvanias and Ohios, et cetera.

CHIP is a game changer for millions of children.

Without congressional action, I say again, CHIP will run out of funding next fall, placing at risk the well-being of hundreds of thousands of children and pregnant women.

I thank Senator Leahy for attempting to address my concerns about this bill. I thank his committee staff for working with my committee staff to insert clarifying report language.