For Immediate Release: September 7, 2007

Sutton Joins In Urging President to Continue Protecting Uninsured Children

Washington, D.C. - Yesterday, Congresswoman Betty Sutton stood surrounded by members of the Alliance for Retired Americans, the AFL-CIO, House Democratic leadership, and dozens of young children at a rally to ask President Bush not to follow through with his threat to veto the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act, legislation that would help both senior citizens and uninsured children.

"These children are not statistics, they are the faces of our future," said Congresswoman Sutton.  "We must make a commitment to ensure that they have the health care they need.  I hope that the President will reconsider his veto threat and support funding for important programs like the Children's Health Insurance Program."

Speaker Nancy Pelosi addressed the rally and commented that she has always had three policy priorities: "Our children, our children, our children.  Their health; their education; the economic security of their families; the retirement and security of their grandparents; healthy, safe neighborhood and environment in which they can thrive; and a world at peace in which they can participate."  Speaker Pelosi also praised the new Congress for taking such swift action to protect children and senior citizens by ensuring access to health care.

In August, Congresswoman Sutton pushed for and helped pass the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act (CHAMP Act), which would provide nearly $50 billion in new funding for children's health insurance coverage through the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and Medicaid.  Overall, the CHAMP Act will provide coverage for five million of the uninsured children who were already eligible for coverage under SCHIP.  

"This successful program to help keep children healthy must be continued, not cut," Congresswoman Sutton said.  "Hundreds of thousands of Ohio children have already benefited from SCHIP, but the program has identified even more children who need and are eligible for the same help.  We have to make sure all eligible children are covered."

The CHAMP Act will provide the State of Ohio with a new option to cover an additional 186,900 children who are aging out of Medicaid and SCHIP, as well as provide essential funding for Ohio to reach the 164,000 children from families with incomes below 200% of the poverty level who are still uninsured.  

Some opponents of continuing the SHCIP program have tried to paint the CHAMP Act as a wedge between senior citizens and children.  Thursday's rally, with dozens of children and senior citizens voicing the same message, demonstrated that there is no rift between the needs of seniors and the needs of children.  "There's no reason for health care to be an either-or choice," Congresswoman Sutton said.    

The legislation also improves Medicare for 44 million seniors and people with disabilities.  More than 449,500 Medicare beneficiaries with incomes below 150% of the poverty level will be assisted by improvements in the Medicare Savings Program and the Low Income Subsidy Program.  And more than 202,400 of Ohio's Medicare beneficiaries most in need will be protected with limits on out of pocket costs for prescription drugs.  

All Ohio taxpayers will also benefit from changes made in the CHAMP Act.  The legislation eliminates overpayments to private plans in Medicare, which amount to $311 million in Ohio for Fiscal Year 2007 alone.  

Contact: Zach Ragbourn at 202-225-3401