Franks critical of proposed expansion of federal children's health program

Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., is faulting a Democratic plan to expand a federal children's health insurance program that he says would lift restrictions on such services for illegal immigrants.

Franks and other Republicans are hitting a Democratic proposal in Congress that would expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

One aspect of that plan would lift prohibitions on illegal immigrants being able to qualify for the program and allow individual states determine whether undocumented migrants or others illegally in the U.S. could qualify.

Other provisions would increase tobacco taxes to pay for the children's health services and expand the threshold to qualify to as much 400 percent of the federal poverty level, or a family making $80,000 per year.

Franks, who represents Sun City, Glendale and Kingman, opposes the illegal immigrant plank and contends the SCHIP expansion measure also ends up reducing a Medicare coverage program for some seniors with lower incomes and in rural areas.

Another SCHIP proposal is being considered by the U.S. Senate. U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., voted against a Democratic measure in that body that also increases tobacco taxes to fund the children's health program. Kyl said he worries about the long-term costs of the program.

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