The Congress closed up shop for August holidays last weekend, but not before debating continuation of the SCHIP program. This program provides federal aid to states so they can provide healthcare for poor children. One in five American children lives below the poverty line (!) and SCHIP is designed to help these kids get vaccinations and treatment for their illnesses. Seems like a noble goal to me.
The Congressional debate about renewing the program featured all sorts of members of Congress debating whether or not to continue the program. Brief pause for you to recover your breath. Yes, some people believe that the United States, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, the land of opportunity and all that, should not provide health insurance for poor kids. To which I say what the f%*k?
And some of these upstanding members of Congress want to make sure that no illegal aliens get help. Though a recent GAO study (that would be the Government Accounting Office) revealed that there is no problem with tiny illegal alien children working the system for free health care, Congress just wants to be sure.
I'd like to know exactly what kind of rational thinking draws the conclusion that needy children, citizen or not, should not receive healthcare. I'm asking a serious question here. Congress is on recess this month and they will be making visits to their home districts. SCHIP passed, by the way, but without any expansion funding, which will leave a good one-third of poor children without healthcare for the coming year. When your member of Congress invites you to ask a question, please ask them what they are doing for the children in this country. Because, honestly, it's not enough.
1 comment:
Perhaps it's time for members of Congress to spend some quality time with only access to what is known in these parts as 'charity care'.
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