Minnesota DFL Party Issues Statement on Children’s Health Insurance

ST. PAUL, Minn., Oct. 6 -- Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party issued the following statement by Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Chairman Ken Martin on funding a critical children's health insurance program:

"Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Chairman Ken Martin today called on Representatives Erik Paulsen, Jason Lewis, and Tom Emmer along with their colleagues in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to step up and take immediate action to fund a critical children's health insurance program.

"The health of 125,000 Minnesota kids hangs in the balance--and Republicans continue failing to take action," DFL Chairman Martin said. "Amid their frantic efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Republicans dropped the ball on funding a program that provides health coverage to millions of children across the country. They must make up for the time they wasted, do the right thing, and take immediate action to protect Minnesota kids."

"The Republican-controlled U.S. Congress failed to renew funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) by its September 30th deadline. This program provides comprehensive, affordable health insurance to nearly 9 million low-income children not covered by Medicaid. If funding isn't restored soon, doctors will have to start turning children away.

"The situation is particularly dire here in Minnesota. Our state's program is already running dry--leaving health care for more than 125,000 children hanging in the balance. The Department of Human Services sent a letter earlier this month warning that its CHIP funding would be exhausted on September 30 and it would have to take "extraordinary measures" to continue coverage in October."