Washington, Aug 1, 2007 -  

House Republican Conference Secretary John Carter (TX-31) today voted in favor of an amendment that would reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and provide states with the resources they need to be able to continue to provide healthcare coverage for children. The amendment was offered last night as an alternative to the Democrat’s SCHIP bill that slashes the successful Medicare Advantage program, gives free health insurance to illegal aliens and ultimately raises taxes on middle-class Americans.

“I believe that every child deserves to have access to affordable healthcare,” Congressman Carter said. “But I don’t believe that Congress should raise taxes on Americans, cut a successful Medicare program that benefits seniors, and provide tax-payer funded healthcare to illegal immigrants while doing so.”

The Democrat SCHIP bill funds children who are from families that make up to $82,000 a year, four times the level of poverty, eliminates the requirement for illegal immigrants to show proof of citizenship or nationality when applying for the service, and cuts the Medicare Advantage program for 3.2 million seniors in 22 states.

The amendment would have allowed for reauthorization of SCHIP while restoring the current law requirements for immigrants to require citizenship documentation verification for eligibility. The amendment also would have eliminated all Democrat cuts to Medicare Advantage from the current bill, eliminated all new tax proposals to private health insurance plan, and eliminate the pending 10 percent cut in Medicare payments for physicians that is scheduled for 2008 and ads a one year doctor payment “fix” of .5 percent.

“I support renewing SCHIP and making sure that children from low-income families are able to receive the healthcare they need,” Carter continued. “Unfortunately, all the Democrats delivered - and voted for - in their bill was a bill that works against seniors, working families and taxpayers – something I cannot and will not support.”