01.22.2018 / Press Release

Congress Ends Shutdown and Extends CHIP Funding; Leaves Community Health Centers and Dreamers in Limbo

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congress reached a bipartisan deal that will authorize six years of funding for the popular, bipartisan Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and will reopen the federal government until February 8.

Following is the statement of Frederick Isasi, executive director of Families USA:

“After an unprecedented 114-day lapse in funding for CHIP and a government shutdown, Congress extended funding for six years for the popular, bipartisan health program that serves 9 million children across the country. This action ends months of anxiety and worry for the hard-working families who rely on CHIP for life-saving health care. States—some of which had already sent notices to families warning of looming CHIP enrollment freezes—can now set about restoring trust that CHIP will be there for kids and their families.

“However, we are still facing lapsed funding for major health programs with historically bipartisan support, including community health centers and the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. And we stand with the hundreds of thousands of young people depending on a permanent, bipartisan legislative replacement for the DACA program.

“President Trump and Congress’s inaction on DACA puts young immigrants who have always called this country home in jeopardy of deportation. President Trump created this crisis by ending DACA and demanding that Congress legislate this issue. As both parties have recognized, these young Dreamers are part of the fabric of our nation. They deserve permanent status. It is up to Congress to restore DACA and undo the damage caused by President Trump.”

 

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Families USA, a leading national voice for health care consumers, is dedicated to the achievement of high-quality, affordable health care and improved health for all.