WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins released the following statement after voting against H.R. 2, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization Act. The bill passed by a vote of 290 to 135. It has now passed in both the House and the Senate and will be sent to the President to be signed into law.

“SCHIP is a very valuable program that I have fought for since my time in the Kansas legislature. The intent of SCHIP is simple – provide health coverage for the neediest American children. Unfortunately, there are some in Washington, D.C. whose primary focus is not to fix the program, but simply to expand it. Under current law, children in families with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) are eligible for SCHIP. There are many children in that income bracket who are not enrolled. Additionally, states have found loopholes in current SCHIP law and have allowed families in higher income brackets to enroll children in SCHIP. H.R. 2 should have focused on the neediest children and closing those loopholes.

“In addition to expanding eligibility to children in higher-income families, provisions in H.R. 2 water-down many of the eligibility requirements increasing the opportunity for fraud. Citizenship and identity documentation requirements are weakened in H.R. 2, increasing the likelihood of illegal immigrants enrolling in SCHIP.

“Current SCHIP law is not perfect, and there was an opportunity to improve the program for children in low-income families. Instead, Congress bucked that challenge and merely expanded the program. As Congress considers other issues related to our health care system, I will continue fighting for common sense solutions to provide access to affordable, high-quality health care coverage for all Americans.

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