Families USA Issues Statement on Children’s Health Insurance Program

WASHINGTON, May 22 -- Families USA issued the following statement by Lisa Shapiro, chief of staff and director of children's policy:

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Today, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) gave the Trump administration and Republican leadership the green light to cut federal spending on children's health care by $7 billion, including $2 billion in cuts to the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Contingency Fund and $800 million in cuts to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). In the last 6 months, the administration and Republican leadership have enacted legislation that increased annual budget deficits by more than $1 trillion, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

"It's unconscionable that Republican Leadership in Congress is even considering taking away $7 billion in funds dedicated to children's health care to appease lawmakers who are now having second thoughts about the massive $1 trillion tax giveaway it passed in December.

"Throughout the fall and winter, our nation's families had to deal with months of uncertainty due to Congress's delay in approving new CHIP funding. Now, Republican leadership and the Trump administration are creating more anxiety for families that rely on this popular program. We urge leaders in Congress to make sure their actions match their rhetoric when it comes to protecting the health and well-being of children.

"After resoundingly supporting a long-term CHIP extension, Congress should reject any proposal that threatens the smooth operation of CHIP in the future. We urge Congress to focus its attention on improving access to affordable, high-quality health care for everyone in our country, not on policies that have the potential to destabilize coverage for children in low-income families."