Durbin Statement on the Passage of Expansion of Children's Health Coverage

Statement

U.S. Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today, after the Senate passed the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIP) by a vote of 66 to 32. The bill invests $32.8 billion over four and a half years in new funding for CHIP, extending coverage to 4.1 million more children. The bill improves the quality of health care coverage low-income children receive.

"We are in the midst of one the worst economic crises in a generation -- 17,000 Americans are now losing their jobs every day. In just the last three months, nearly 2 million jobs have been lost. But that is only the beginning of the problems facing families around the country.

Every time the unemployment rate climbs one percent, 700,000 children lose their private health coverage. Today, nearly 9 million children live without health insurance and as the economic crisis deepens, that number is surely to rise.

It is in the face of these devastating statistics I'm proud that the U.S. Senate has taken the moral high ground and extended health care coverage to more than 4 million at-risk children. With the passage of this bill, struggling American families will receive an important life line to help get them through these difficult times.

I'm proud of the work the Senate has done and look forward to the day when President Obama signs this bill into law."

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