by Marvin J Ramirez
Marvin Ramirez
Senate Finance Committee approved by a bipartisan vote of 17-4 the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, which would expand coverage to more than three million children and maintain coverage for the 6.6 million children currently in the program. Latino children would especially benefit, since close to 40 percent of all uninsured children in the U.S. are Hispanic. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called Thursday on President Bush not to block expanding health care to millions of children.
In a statement to the press, Reid shows his concern that despite of its strong bipartisanship, the bill might not go anywhere if the president doesn’t act on it.
“Today we came one step closer to fulfilling the bipartisan Senate’s promise of improving the lives of millions of American kids,” Reid said. “By overwhelmingly approving a plan to renew and enhance the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee voiced our commitment to ensure low-income, uninsured children have access to health care. This bill does not go as far as some of us would have liked, but it is a strong example of bipartisan compromise.”
According the statement, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) it’s very crucial for Latinos.
It’s very critical to the well-being of Latino children and their families, the most uninsured racial/ethnic group in this country, Reid said.
“There are still 9 million uninsured children in America, 38.8 percent of whom are Latino. Unfortunately, our President has failed to protect Latino families served by SCHIP by submitting a budget request that would not even provide enough to cover those already enrolled.
That is why the Senate will take up legislation investing $35 billion in the Children’s Health Insurance Program, $30 billion more than the administration’s request.
My question is why people have to beg every so often, for funds to cover programs that will keep the future generations healthy to take the country to the future?
