I want to thank all those who joined me in discussing the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in my online town hall on November 14th. We had almost four hundred questions submitted in advance, with many more coming in over the course of the discussion. Hundreds of you also joined me for a live discussion.  If you missed our town hall you can still view the questions and my responses here.  I hope you agree that it was a great event!

I always welcome the opportunity to hear your thoughts and concerns, particularly with regards to such an important issue like providing healthcare for low-income children on the South and Central Coasts. I enjoyed our conversation and hope you found it informative and helpful. I wish I could have addressed all of the comments submitted but I hope you agree that the questions selected represented a wide variety of concerns and that the answers clarified many misconceptions about this very important piece of legislation.

Unfortunately, the President has already vetoed meaningful legislation to improve SCHIP and ensure that all eligible children have access to these vital services. Currently, House and Senate leadership are working on a temporary extension in order to prevent funding from being cut altogether, but we will continue working on ways to improve and enhance the program.

Thank you again for your participation. I wish you a happy and healthy end to 2007 and will continue to keep your concerns in mind as the State Children’s Health Insurance Program makes its way through the legislative process.

Pictured above: (center) Congresswoman Capps meets with Central Coast firefighters to discuss emergency preparedness.