Cornyn Statement On SCHIP Reauthorization

Press Release

Cornyn Statement On SCHIP Reauthorization

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn today made the following statement regarding Reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Fund (SCHIP).

"SCHIP has been a remarkable success and it deserves to be reauthorized with a significant funding increase. Texas still has an unacceptably high number of uninsured children and all levels of government must work together to address this problem.

"It's for this reason that I supported legislation, and fund the Texas legislature's initiative to enroll additional children. Equally important, this measure would allow Texas to retain $660 million in SCHIP funding instead of sending this money back to Washington where it would be redistributed to northern states.

"Unfortunately, the Senate instead passed a fiscally irresponsible reauthorization bill that will increase taxes, weaken private insurance coverage and create a new de facto entitlement for middle-class families. What's worse, at the same time that Texas is ramping up its SCHIP program, the Senate-passed legislation would strip Texas of roughly $660 million in previously allocated SCHIP funding to subsidize irresponsible spending by other states. This is not the right bill for Texas or for our country's future.

"The alternative bill I supported tonight offered more funding to locate and enroll eligible children, assisted families who retain private insurance, and provided greater state flexibility. It is disappointing that this alternative legislation was not agreed to, but I will continue fighting for what is best for Texas and our young people."

BACKGROUND:

* The Senate tonight passed legislation that expands SCHIP by an estimated $35 billion, extends coverage to middle-income adults, and forces Texas to return $660 million in SCHIP funding to be distributed to other states.
* Senator Cornyn opposed this measure and instead supported an alternative bill, Kids First, which increases SCHIP funding by $10 billion and provides new coverage for an additional 1.3 million children by 2012, including funding for the Texas legislature's initiative to enroll additional children.

Sen. Cornyn serves on the Armed Services, Judiciary and Budget Committees. In addition, he is Vice Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference and the Senate Select Committee on Ethics. He serves as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee's Immigration, Border Security and Refugees subcommittee and the Armed Services Committee's Airland subcommittee. He served previously as Texas Attorney General, Texas Supreme Court Justice, and Bexar County District Judge.

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