From the Feder campaign...bolding added for emphasis.
"Wolf's vote against health care coverage for Virginia children is inexcusable."McLean, VA - Yesterday, the United State House of Representatives voted to provide health care coverage to 5 million children in our country by passing the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act -- the CHAMP ACT. Frank Wolf supported President Bush and voted with other Republicans in the House against CHAMP.
"It is inexcusable, and it's just plain wrong. Frank Wolf voted against the 137,000 Virginia children who already get their health care coverage through the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and the 171,642 other Virginia children who have no health insurance at all," said Judy Feder.
The CHAMP ACT passed by the House reauthorized and expanded State Children's Health and Insurance Program. President Bush's proposed budget gutted the SCHIP program.Judy Feder, a national expert on health care, said "Providing children with the medical care they need shouldn't be a partisan, political issue, it should be a Congressional priority."
Enacted in 1997, SCHIP has provided thousands of uninsured Virginia children with quality health care. Right now the program lacks the funds necessary to sustain the millions of children who depend on it each year.
"I fully support the CHAMP ACT and though I am greatly disappointed in Frank Wolf's vote against coverage for children. I am not surprised given his dismal and partisan record on healthcare issues. To solve our health care problems, we're going to have to retire Congressmen like Frank Wolf," stated Feder.
Wolf's dismal record on healthcare includes voting to allow insurance companies, not doctors and patients to make healthcare decisions, gutting state protections for diseases like diabetes and breast cancer and repeatedly voting against potentially life saving stem-cell research.
Why do people still think Frank Wolf is a "moderate" when he votes like THIS?!? This guy has GOT to go, period.
Webb Supports Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)Provides Health Coverage to Uninsured Children from Low Income Families
Washington, DC - Senator Jim Webb yesterday supported Senate passage of the Children's Healthcare Insurance Program (CHIP), ensuring continued health insurance coverage for the 6.6 million children from low-income families currently enrolled in CHIP nationwide, and providing coverage for an additional 3.2 million uninsured children. The renewal and expansion of CHIP received overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate vote, which will now negotiate the final legislation with the House of Representatives before the program expires on September 30th.
Reauthorizing CHIP is critical to Virginia. 167,000 low-income children received health insurance coverage last year in Virginia, yet there are another 100,000 uninsured children who would benefit from this legislation.
"I supported the CHIP bill because I am strongly committed to providing health insurance to children from low-income families," said Senator Webb. "I objected to the bill's funding source, which I believe unfairly singles out tobacco use and the tobacco industry. But the merits of the program outweigh those concerns. This CHIP program is important to the Commonwealth of Virginia and to our nation."
"This additional funding for Virginia's FAMIS program will help to provide health coverage to more of Virginia's children and will build on the state government's success in reaching out to low- and middle income communities and increasing enrollment," continued Webb.
Family Access to Medical Insurance Security plan (FAMIS), the name of the CHIP program in Virginia has been successful in educating and enrolling children and families that would be unable to afford private health insurance. Virginia's government has worked to expand the program to provide dental care and forward-looking health and wellness programs to prevent future health problems.
Many eligible families fail to take advantage of the FAMIS program. Webb urged Virginians who may lack health insurance for their children to call 1-866-87FAMIS or visit FAMIS's website at http://www.famis.org....
As usual, it's the Democrats, not the Republicans, who are the true "family values" party.