44 to increase portions of health insurance and cover more currently uninsured children
Last week, by a margin of 66 to 32 votes (including 9 Republicans), the Senate approved expansion and reauthorization of SCHIP and today, President Obama signed that bill into law. This legislation was resurrected and revised after two vetos by former President Bush and began making its way through the Congress once again scarcely a week before the Inauguration. The critical health insurance program administered by the states, expands medical coverage to some 4 million children nation-wide whose parents do not qualify for Medicaid. This is estimated to bring the total number of children enrolled in the program to 11 million. Many of these families are newly unemployed or part of the legions of working poor in this country. With the passage of this law, we can count this as the first victory in the Obama plan to reform health care in this country.
Watch: Video of the signing ceremony at the White House
Sources:
Obama Views Children’s Health Bill as Step One at washingtonpost.com
Senate Approves Children’s Health Bill at NYTimes.com
