Four million low-income kids can now join another 7 million children with health coverage after President Obama this afternoon signed a bill renewing the state-based program for low-income children for another four and a half years.
The White House ceremony came just hours after the House gave final approval (290-135) to the bill and caps a nearly two-year struggle to extend health care coverage to children whose families cannot afford private insurance. With the program’s expansion, 11 million children are now covered.
In signing the bill, Obama said:
Since it was created more than 10 years ago, the Children’s Health Insurance Program has been a lifeline for millions of children whose parents work full-time and don’t qualify for Medicaid, but, through no fault of their own, don’t have and can’t afford private insurance.
Before today’s vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called today “a special day for us in the House.”
We’re going to help 11 million children….In the course of the past two years, we have passed this bill a number of times in the House. Today after we pass it, it will go to the president’s desk.
The move to renew the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and extend coverage to more children began in 2007. But former President George W. Bush first vetoed the renewal in October 2007. After a second bill—revised to meet Bush’s objections to the original bill—passed with bipartisan support, Bush vetoed that bill in December 2007. Congress eventually passed a temporary reauthorization that did not expand coverage to more children and which expires March 31.
This year, the House first passed the children’s health bill Jan. 9, and the Senate followed on Jan. 29. Today’s House vote was required because of some minor differences between the House and Senate versions.
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