As the Senate continues debate on its controversial tax plan, Ohio’s Sherrod Brown is pushing for an answer to funding for children’s healthcare.
Last month, Congress failed to renew funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Plan or CHIP. In Ohio, the program is administered for children through Medicaid.
Brown says because states are beginning to run out of money for CHIP, some are prepared to shut down this lifeline.
"These are families often that have two working parents. They aren’t lucky enough to work for companies that offer good health coverage for their entire family, or they’re families with children who have special needs. CHIP helps provide access to specialty providers so said kids are never faced with a situation -- or their parents are never faced with a situation, where they can’t afford the therapy or prescription drugs that they need."
Brown says the bill to reestablish funding for CHIP has broad bipartisan support, and says he doesn’t understand why the Republican leadership in Congress refuses to take action on it.
