Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 976 - Children's Health Insurance Reauthorization Act of 2007

STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY

(House)

(Rep. Rangel (D) NY and 72 cosponsors)

The Administration strongly supports reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) which maintains SCHIP's original purpose of targeting health care dollars to low-income children who need them most. However, the current bill goes too far toward federalizing health care and turns a program meant to help low-income children into one that covers children in some households with incomes of up to $83,000 a year. If H.R. 976 were presented to the President in its current form, he would veto the bill.

It is urgent that Congress complete its work and send the President a bill he can sign before the program expires September 30, 2007, or at a minimum to pass a clean, temporary extension of the current SCHIP program that he can sign by September 30th.