Reps. Taylor, Garrett, Brat, Comstock to Blame for Virginia Children’s Health Insurance Expiring

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee issued the following news release:

Reps. Taylor, Garrett, Brat, and Comstock and their Do Nothing Republican Congress have been so focused on repealing healthcare and passing their tax scam that they failed to renew federal funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program, which provides coverage to 192,831 Virginia children and expired in September. Their failure means that this week, on the cusp of the holiday season, 68,000 Virginia families will receive notices that their health insurance is at risk of being cancelled.

Virginia House Republicans have tried to pass the buck by saying they did their part when they voted for a renewal bill in November, but that bill was partisan, had no chance of advancing through the Senate, and worst of all, passed the House more than a month after federal funding for CHIP had already expired.

"This week, 68,000 Virginia families are going to get letters telling them their health insurance is at risk of being cancelled, all because Washington Republicans are more focused on repealing health care and giving tax cuts to the wealthy and big corporations than they are on preserving insurance for kids," said Jacob Peters of the DCCC. "Reps. Taylor, Garrett, Brat, and Comstock will surely try to pass the buck again, but after months of prioritizing health care repeal and tax cuts for millionaires over health coverage for Virginia children, this failure is on them."