SDDP Issues Statement on the Republican Lack of Action on CHIP Funding

PIERRE, S.D., Oct. 16 -- The South Dakota Democratic Party issued the following statement by Executive Director Sam Parkinson in response to the continued lack of action from Rep. Kristi Noem,R-S.D., Sens. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and John Thune, R-S.D., and other congressional Republicans to restore funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) after failing to reauthorize the program before last month's deadline to do so:

"Kristi Noem, Mike Rounds, John Thune, and their fellow congressional Republicans have been so busy trying to take healthcare away from millions of Americans, sabotaging our c ountry's healthcare system, and fighting over how big of tax cuts to give millionaires and billionaires that they continue to fail to perform the basic functions of governing our great country.

"I call on South Dakota's congressional delegation to finally show some leadership and convince their fellow Republicans to work with Democrats to restore CHIP funding immediately.

"The healthcare of over 16,000 children and women in South Dakota is at stake, and their healthcare should be more important to our representatives than tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires."