BAUCUS PASSES VETO-PROOF CHIP BILL
Senator Says 12,000 Mont. Kids Can Sigh Relief
August 2, 2007
(Washington D.C.) In what is being hailed as a monumental victory for children, the U.S. Senate late Thursday passed Montana Senator Max Baucus' plan to renew the Children's Health Insurance Program.
As Finance Committee Chairman, Max has been leading the floor debate on the legislation since Monday.
“This truly is a monumental day for kids in Montana and across the country,” Baucus said. “After months of working, this feels good because this legislation represents the best of us. I will continue to push to make sure that nothing stands in the way of these kids getting the health care they deserve.”
The magic number: 67
Since President Bush has vowed to veto Max’s CHIP bill, the senator lobbied his colleagues in earnest for their support. His goal was to get at least 67 votes for the legislation. That’s the number of votes it takes to override a presidential veto. The bill ended up receiving 68 votes, more than enough to override a veto.
The process
Now that the senate has passed Max’s CHIP bill, the legislation will need to be considered by a joint House-Senate conference committee. The House passed its version of the legislation Wednesday. Baucus will be a member of the conference committee. The bill will need to be approved by both chambers once the conference committee strikes a compromise on the legislation.
Abigale Tuhy
Throughout the debate on the CHIP bill, Max featured a photo on the Senate floor of Abigale Tuhy of Missoula.
At the time the photo was taken she was four years old. Abigale has two siblings and they live with their mom Fawn. All three of the children participate in the Montana CHIP program.
When Abigale was 2 ½ years old, she fell down, split her head open and had to have nine stitches – her medical care was covered by CHIP. That same year, her six year old brother broke his arm twice and CHIP paid for the surgery, hospital stay and all of the medical care that he received. Fawn, Abigale’s mother, is thankful to have CHIP not only for the emergency care it provides, but it also helps immunize Fawn’s children against childhood diseases and allows them to get the check-ups they need each year for school.
The details
• Without Congressional action, CHIP, which Baucus helped create in 1997, will expire on Sept. 30 of this year.
• On a vote of 17 to 4, the Finance Committee last week approved Baucus’ plan. Six Republican Senators supported the measure in committee.
• The Baucus plan will provide new health care coverage to as many as 12,000 new Montana kids, while ensuring the 14,000 kids currently enrolled in CHIP keep their coverage.
• Baucus’ plan, endorsed by The Washington Post and the Billings Gazette, will boost funding for CHIP by $35 billion over the next five years, an amount that will provide health insurance to 3.3 million more needy children across the country.
• Baucus’ plan is paid for with a 61-cent per pack increase in federal tax on cigarettes, with proportional increases for other tobacco products.
For Montana
The Baucus plan will substantially increase federal CHIP funding to Montana.
• It will set aside $27.8 million for Montana in fiscal year 2008, up from the $15.7 million the state got in fiscal year 2007.
• These funds, combined with technical changes in the bill, give Montana the tools it needs to move forward with its proposed expansion of CHIP eligibility from 150 percent of poverty to 175 percent of poverty.
• At 175 percent of the federal poverty level, a family of three makes about $30,000 per year.
• In addition to expanding health care to more kids, the bill also provides outreach funds for rural and Native American children, streamlines the Medicaid enrollment process for children living in poverty, and expands dental coverage.
• In crafting the bill, Baucus worked with Montana health care providers and state officials to ensure the bill is right for Montana. He held a field hearing of the Senate Finance Committee in Billings on April 4.
Schweitzer, Tester Back Baucus’ Plan
Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer:
“This is a great day for families across the Big Sky State. As Montanans, our word is our bond, and Max gave us his word that he would expand CHIP in Washington, if we expanded it in Helena,” said Schweitzer. “This bill takes a giant step forward in our efforts to cover Montana kids. I take my hat off to Max for providing national leadership on a program that is so important to Montana.”
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester:
“Montanans know this is a program that works,” Tester said “It is tough out there. Millions of children lack health insurance despite their parents’ hard work and efforts to keep their heads above water. Many families cannot afford health insurance, despite the fact that they have jobs.”
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