Jay Rockefeller: “as a cosponsor of the Hatch-Kennedy bill, I am extremely hopeful that this amendment will pass. If this amendment passes…”

“as a cosponsor of the Hatch-Kennedy bill, I am extremely hopeful that this amendment will pass. If this amendment passes it will enable us to come very close to achieving universal coverage for all of America's children. However, like Senator Chafee, if the Hatch-Kennedy amendment fails, then we simply must target our efforts in the Finance Committee at strengthening the Medicaid Program to achieve health care coverage for the children who should be our most urgent priority. The Medicaid Program has a proven track record in providing cost effective care and it has served as a vital safety net for millions of working families. Because of past bipartisan legislation that delinked the Medicaid Program from the welfare program, the vast majority of children on Medicaid have at least one working parent. In other words, these are children in families who are struggling to avoid welfare, play by the rule, pay taxes--but they are the ones who don't get health insurance for their children through their jobs and cannot afford it on incomes where ends barely meet. So I look forward to working with Senator Chafee, Senator Jeffords, Senator Breaux, and the majority of my colleagues on the Finance Committee who have already signed on to our bill, to expand coverage for millions of children in the most cost-effective, targeted way possible through the Medicaid Program.”