January 14 – Congressman Zach Wamp issued the following statement regarding today’s passage of the reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in the U.S. House of Representatives. SCHIP is a federal-state program that offers health care benefits to children in families that cannot afford private insurance yet earn too much to qualify for Medicaid. Congressman Wamp supported the Republican alternative proposal to serve low-income children without raising taxes: 

“Under Republican leadership in 1997, I worked in a bipartisan way to gain support for the original SCHIP and worked across the aisle again in 2007 to extend it. Sadly, what was brought to the House today lacked bipartisan cooperation, raised taxes and made it easier for illegal immigrants to get health care coverage at the taxpayers’ expense. Many Tennessean families can’t afford private health care coverage, especially in these tough economic times, so this program is needed more than ever. But using SCHIP to carry billions of dollars in tax increases hurts the very families we need to help. President-elect Barack Obama has said that middle class families will see their taxes cut -- and no family making less than $250,000 will see their taxes increase. The new SCHIP reauthorization will be the first violation of that pledge when he signs this bill into law.” 

“While I opposed the Democrat bill, I continue to support the Republican proposal to fully fund SCHIP for seven years and serve the children of our neediest families first – without raising taxes. This alternative bill also would have maintained the identity and citizenship status requirements in current law to prevent unqualified individuals from fraudulently gaining access to taxpayer-funded programs.” 

“The bill passed in the House today is a considerable expansion of the SCHIP program that will raise taxes, substitute private health insurance coverage with government-run health care, and make it easier for illegal immigrants to get health care coverage at taxpayer expense.”