WASHINGTON, DC - House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) today released the following statement regarding negotiations to extend funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and important public health priorities, like Community Health Centers (CHC). Following the committee’s October 4, 2017, markup of bills to extend funding for these critical programs and provide an additional $1 billion to Puerto Rico’s Medicaid program, Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released a statement calling for further negotiations. As Chairman Walden noted last week, it was the third delay requested by the Minority and to date, has not resulted in any offer from the Minority since the release was sent on October 5th.
“Despite Ranking Member Pallone’s statement calling for renewed bipartisan negotiations nearly two weeks ago, we have yet to receive a single counter-offer from our Democratic colleagues. Instead, they are adamantly protecting subsidies for the wealthiest one percent of Medicare beneficiaries, those making more than $40,000 per month, instead of funding health insurance for low-income children," said Chairman Walden. “We know that these public health programs are vital to communities across the country and funding should be quickly extended in a responsible way. Democrats should stop blocking critical health insurance for children and funding for community health centers in order to protect taxpayer-funded subsidies for the wealthiest among us. If Democrats are serious about funding these important programs, I call on them to follow through on their offer for renewed negotiations. There is too much at stake for partisan games and gridlock."
Background:
The HEALTHY KIDS Act and CHAMPION Act include common sense policies, like reducing government subsidies for Medicare beneficiaries earning over $500,000 a year to help fund coverage for low-income children.
* According to CBO, fewer than one percent of Medicare beneficiaries would be impacted, and according to CRS had the policy been in effect this year, would have meant an individual beneficiary would have paid roughly $135 more per month.
* Democrats are currently opposing a package that would fund health insurance for low-income children and Community Health Centers to preserve a taxpayer-funded federal subsidy for the wealthiest one percent.
* President Obama supported increasing income related premiums in his FY2013-FY2017 budgets.
