U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) recently praised the Championing Healthy Kids Act, HR3922, which passed the House on a 242-174 vote, but wondered at the partisanship so visible in the vote tally.
“Today, 227 Republicans joined 15 House Democrats to pass a fully paid-for, five-year reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which gives certainty to more than 350,00 kids who use CHIP in Illinois,” Davis said in a press release. “This is an issue that should not be partisan or controversial and typically has not been in the past but unfortunately, today was different.”
The act extends CHIP for five years and uses funding from the Prevention and Public Health Fund so federally qualified health centers can continue to offer low-cost or free health care to children and underprivileged populations.
The act also lowers the income guidelines for wealthy seniors from $1 million to $500,000, allowing more funds to be allocated for Medicare Part D and Part B programs.
Davis called on the Senate to pass the bill.
“In 2015, the last time CHIP was reauthorized, the bill passed 392 to 37, today the vote total was 242 to 174,” he said in the release. “It’s time we move past this partisan bickering and work together on these important issues. The State of Illinois has said they have enough funding to continue the program for the short term, but it’s imperative our senators help pass this legislation so kids can continue to benefit from this program.”
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