{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-takes-to-senate-floor-to-demand-funding-extension-for-chip", "Brown Takes to Senate Floor to Demand Funding Extension for CHIP", "2017-12-21", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senator has Led Efforts to Extend Funding for Program that Insures More Than 209,000 Ohio Children\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, December 21, 2017\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\n**Production Quality Video Available HERE**\r\n**Production Quality Audio Available HERE**\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) took to the Senate floor to call on Congress to extend funding for the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP), known as Healthy Start in Ohio, for five years rather than the current three-month extension proposed by Congressional leadership. In October, Browns bipartisan bill to extend funding for CHIP for five years passed the Senate Finance Committee, but Senate leadership has yet to take up the bill on the Senate floor.\r\nThis body passed massive, permanent tax cuts for corporations, but cant give families more certainty than three months? Its past time for folks in Congress with taxpayer-funded health care, to do their jobs and extend CHIP, so families dont pay the price, said Brown.\r\n \r\nThe Affordable Care Act reauthorized CHIP through 2019, but Congress allowed funding for the program to expire in September.\r\n \r\n \r\nBrown has led Senate efforts to extend funding for CHIP, which is also called Healthy Start in Ohio. Healthy Start insures more than 209,000 Ohio children.\r\n \r\n\r\nBrown highlighted the story of Noble Lett on the Senate Floor. Noble was born with a rare genetic disorder, and while the Letts insurance plan would only cover part of Nobles treatment, because of CHIP, Noble has access to the high-quality healthcare he deserves.\r\nCHIP, which was created in 1997, is a joint state-federal health insurance program for low to moderate income children and pregnant women who are not Medicaid eligible. Within three years of its initial passage, all 50 states opted into the program, providing millions with access to health insurance. Nationwide, CHIP provides access to comprehensive, affordable coverage to more than nine million children and Healthy Start helps cover more than 209,000 Ohioans.\r\nBrown led efforts in the Senate to protect CHIP and the vital coverage it provides children and pregnant women nationwide in 2015. The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 extended funding for CHIP for two years, through September of 2017.\r\nIn September, Brown joined families in Cincinnati and Cleveland to call for funding extension for CHIP. Earlier this year, Brown also secured a commitment from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma to work with Brown on extending CHIP.\r\nBrown was the lead sponsor of the Protecting and Retaining Our Childrens Health Insurance Program (PRO-CHIP) Act of 2015 in the Senate, which would have extended the program through 2019.\r\nText of Browns remarks as prepared for delivery can be found below:\r\n\r\nYesterday, a bunch of members of Congress with healthcare paid for by taxpayers were at the White House celebrating a handout for corporations that send jobs overseas  while families here in America were getting letters in the mail saying their kids are about to get kicked off of their health insurance through CHIP.\r\nThats right, because Congress hasnt done its job, families in some states have already started getting letters bringing devastating news: their children could lose their health care in the New Year.\r\nA new report from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families reports that 1.9 million children could lose coverage in January  next month  if Congress doesnt act.\r\nAnother one million could lose insurance by the end of February.\r\nParents are panicked and confused.\r\nThink about those families, getting that letter in the mail.\r\nIt should be a joyful time of year for families, spending time with family and enjoying the holidays.\r\nImagine checking your mailbox, expecting Christmas cards, and finding that letter instead.\r\nImagine having to tell your daughter, Im sorry, Santa probably isnt bringing much this year, and we wont have many presents under the tree.\r\nImagine trying to not let your child see the worry in your eyes, because you just got this letter in the mail, and now youre wondering how youll afford to take her to the doctor when she gets sick.\r\nThese are often families with two working parents, who arent lucky enough to work for companies that offer health insurance coverage for their entire family.\r\nOr theyre families with children who have special needs, like Crystal Lett and her son Noble, a first-grader in Dublin, Ohio.\r\nI met Crystal and Noble this spring, when they came all the way from Ohio to talk about what CHIP means to their family.\r\nNoble was born with a rare genetic disorder. He needs three therapy sessions a week, and daily hormone injections, to treat his condition. His medications run $1,500 a month.\r\nI talked to Crystal at the end of last month. She and her family are scared to death about what will happen to them if Congress doesnt save CHIP.\r\nShe said, CHIP is the difference between living a middle class lifestyle, or being part of the poverty line.\r\nCongress had time to hand out massive tax cuts to the richest Americans and the biggest corporations, but doesnt have the time to help these families?\r\nIts a disgrace.\r\nThis is a program that was created in a bipartisan way, that has always been bipartisan, and that still has bipartisan support today.\r\nWe passed a bipartisan CHIP extension out of the Finance Committee overwhelmingly.\r\nIts ready to go. And if Republican leaders put it on the floor today, it would pass. There is no excuse for this delay that is hurting families.\r\nRight now, theres talk the House is going to pass a three-month CHIP extension.\r\nThis is unacceptable.\r\nThree months provides no certainty for families. And it provides no certainty for states.\r\nStates like Alabama and Virginia are already taking steps to close down their programs and freeze enrollment.\r\nThey have to give families a heads up, so these parents have time to do what they can  whether its try to find an alternative source of coverage, or try to fit in one more doctors appointment before their coverage lapses.\r\nProviding a three-month extension doesnt solve the problem, it just makes the situation more complicated for families and kids across the country.\r\nThis body passed massive, permanent tax cuts for corporations, but cant give families more certainty than three months?\r\nI want my colleagues here in Congress to explain to Crystal and so many mothers and fathers like her why corporate tax cuts are more important than their childrens health.\r\nThere are more than 209,000 Ohio children who rely on this program. Thats more than enough to fill the Buckeye football stadium twice over.\r\nSenator Hatch said last month that we were going to get this done, but now were hearing that Senator McConnell is only going to let us vote on a three month extension of the program.\r\nThis is about whose side youre on. Do we work for the corporations that send our jobs overseas, or for the children who may wake up on Christmas morning without health insurance?\r\nIts past time for folks in Congress with taxpayer-funded health care, to do their jobs and extend CHIP, so families dont pay the price.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-takes-to-senate-floor-to-demand-funding-extension-for-chip"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.7271220460534096, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}