Opposes Democrat Plan to Include High Income Families

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Barrasso, R-Wyo., today reiterated his support for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). He called the Democrat proposal to expand SCHIP to include higher income families “irresponsible.”

“I have been a fan and strong supporter of children’s health, and specifically of SCHIP,” Barrasso said. “In Wyoming , we call the program Kid Care. It successfully covers more than 5,600 low-income children in our state in a responsible way. I want to ensure that those children will continue to be covered and receive the help they need.”

“That is why I voted in favor of a Republican alternative SCHIP proposal. Our plan would have provided long-term financial stability to responsibly managed programs such as Kid Care.”

Under the GOP alternative, Wyoming would have received $19.6 million — $4.6 million more than the Democrat measure passed by the Senate and $10.5 million more than under current law.

“Many government programs do not work well or produce results,” Barrasso added. “Yet SCHIP has successfully achieved what it set out to do when Congress passed into law 10 years ago. We have reduced the number of uninsured low-income children in America . That is why I want to be clear from the outset: I am 100 percent committed to reauthorizing this very important safety net program for kids.”

 “The Democrat’s SCHIP bill, which the Senate passed last week, takes a vastly different approach,” Barrasso said. “Their bill takes a successful health insurance program for low-income children and uses it as a vehicle to create a new massive entitlement.

“Their proposal spends too much money, covers higher income people in some states and not others, and encourages some individuals, who are already privately insured, to switch to a taxpayer paid program.

“In my opinion, the hard working taxpayers of Wyoming shouldn’t be forced to pay for the health insurance for a family of four in New York making over $80,000 a year.

“This country does need to have a serious debate on health care, but it should not be on the backs of the 5,642 children in Wyoming who are covered under SCHIP,” Barrasso concluded.