Sen. Grassley Issues Statement on Children’s Health Insurance Program

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 -- Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, issued the following statement, which was published in the Congressional Record on Jan. 18, on the Children's Health Insurance Program:

I thank the Presiding Officer.

Should the Children's Health Insurance Program be reauthorized? Of course it should be reauthorized. It has a long history of strong bipartisan support. This is a major issue in reaching the point of whether we need to get something passed--and we do need to get something passed so the government doesn't shut down. In regard to the Children's Health Insurance Program being a part of that, this started very early last fall, when the Senate Finance Committee overwhelmingly passed a 5-year extension from that committee, once again stating the strong bipartisan support that the Children's Health Insurance Program has.

Thankfully, it is moving along in the House of Representatives. That body has included a 6-year extension of the Children's Health Insurance Program in the continuing resolution that we have to get through the U.S. Senate. That 6-year extension would be the longest extension of the program since it was created over 20 years ago.

I am sure this is going to be surprising to our constituents, for sure, and maybe even surprising to Members of this body, but this reauthorization of 6 years actually saves $1 billion.

I cannot believe that we are in a situation where people who have said that they support the Children's Health Insurance Program would vote against its reauthorization when the House resolution comes over here, but that is what the leadership of this body is dealing with. The reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program has been elevated in this debate, so people know that those who have been crying for a long period of time about finally having CHIP reauthorized could be in a situation of voting against what they have been pleading for over a long period of time.

My colleague from the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Feinstein, said: "Healthcare coverage for kids should be a no-brainer." I agree. This Children's Health Insurance Program reauthorization is a no- brainer, both in the value it has for the kids and in saving us money at this point.

Senators Warner and Kaine from Virginia wrote: "We ask that you include bipartisan legislation reauthorizing the Children's Health Insurance Program in any upcoming funding legislation." Well, it is here for all of those Senators who want the Children's Health Insurance Program reauthorized. This is the opportunity to reauthorize it.

Will you vote against what you have been advocating for a long time-- the reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program? In my State of Iowa, 68,792 children--the latest enrollment--are in CHIP and are depending upon Congress to do the right thing. The right thing to do is to reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program as soon as possible--which could be today or tomorrow--for 6 years so that we don't have to deal with it for a long period of time.

My fellow Senators, this is a time for statesmanship, not gamesmanship. It is time to vote for a prompt reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program.