Thread: Sen Cornyn on SCHIP

I received an update email from Sen. Cornyn today with his comments on SCHIP.

Congress and the President are currently at an impasse over the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). It has prompted a debate in Texas over how we can improve delivery of health care and encourage broader coverage for Texans and all Americans, while maintaining the strong points of our current system. Last week I called on Democratic leaders in Congress to work with me and others to reach a bipartisan solution. My position on SCHIP can be summarized in three points:

1) Reauthorize SCHIP—Cover Poor Texas Children First. I support reauthorization of SCHIP with sufficient additional funding to cover all eligible children that Texas health authorities can enroll. I voted for a $10 billion funding increase. The plan I support will ensure renewed focus on SCHIP’s original intent—covering Texas children in working poor families. We need to fully fund the Texas Legislature’s commitment for increased enrollment. But the Democratic majority bill, vetoed by President Bush last week, would divert Texas taxpayer money to expand and subsidize the SCHIP program for middle-class adults in northern states.

2) Address Key Texas Problems—Outreach and Enrollment. The Kids First bill I support tackles the central problems facing Texas better than the majority version. Approximately 700,000 Texas children are currently eligible but not enrolled in either SCHIP or Medicaid. Kids First provides $700 million for outreach and enrollment. The majority plan contains only a token $100 million over five years for critical outreach efforts. We should concentrate on locating and signing up those who need assistance, not on expanding the program outside its intended beneficiary.

3) Cover Texas Uninsured—Don’t Raise Taxes on Working Poor/Middle Class. We must seek broader health care solutions to address the high rate of uninsured children in our state. The plan I support covers additional Texas children without raising taxes on lower and middle class families. The majority bill balloons SCHIP by more than 140 percent to potentially include families of four with $83,000 of annual income. It relies on an accounting trick that will guarantee higher taxes, both immediately and again in the future.

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I sent him an email stating the majority of citizens are AGAINST expanding the SCHIP program. That we are not interested in furnishing insurance for ILLEGAL ALIENS or their kids. And that most of the 700,000 uninsured in Texas ARE the kids of ILLEGAL ALIENS.

I also called him on the underhanded tactic of using inflammatory statements........"would divert Texas taxpayer money to expand and subsidize the SCHIP program for middle-class adults in northern states."

This just goes to show how far members of congress will go in lying and using dirty tricks to get their greedy ways.

No where does he say it will exclude illegal aliens. Take away the Earned Income Tax Credit and use that on the poor's children and their medical needs. Lower my taxes so I can afford insurance.

Dixie

Go on any insurance web site and look up the cost of health insurance for a child. I saw rates from $40 a month that covers kids. What gets me is most of these people that are screaming for schip have big screen tv's in their homes, $3000 wheels and tires on their late model cars, play the lotto etc. but can't seem to find the $40 to insure their kids. I have a young child in school and the first of the year they send home an application for low cost insurance to cover your child also. So what am I missing? In other words they put status and material things above their childrens health, and then scream about no health insurace for them. UGH... But somehow that is our fault...