NEWS RELEASE

Committee on Energy and Commerce
Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman

Dingell Opposes President’s Threat to Veto CHIP Reauthorization

Calls on Bush Administration to Work with Congress to Protect the Health of American’s Children

Washington, D.C. – Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, issued the following statement today following President Bush’s latest threat to veto a reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP):

“Today, President Bush affirmed his intent to block a reauthorization of the highly-successful Children’s Health Insurance Program. For more than a decade, CHIP has given millions of children access to quality, affordable health care. Yet, despite the program’s success, and the fact that nine million of America’s children are currently uninsured, the Bush Administration is actively working to undermine support for CHIP, remove State flexibility to provide health coverage for our kids, and spread misinformation about how the program works."

“The President has repeatedly described CHIP as a ‘government-run health care program,’ in spite of the fact that coverage under CHIP is overwhelmingly provided through private plans. This public-private partnership has worked for ten years and Congressional leaders intend to ensure it continues."

“It’s shameful that, instead of working with Congress to protect and improve CHIP, the White House is issuing veto threats, taking actions to make it more difficult to protect the health of children in working families, and putting thousands of kids at risk of losing their health insurance."

“It’s time for this Administration to stop using our kids as a political pawn and start working with Congress to protect the health of American’s children.”

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