Senate Democrats said they want long-term funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program included in a Dec. 22 spending bill, but stopped short of threatening to shut down the government if it is not included.
CHIP expired Sept. 30, and some states are starting to run out of funding for the program that provides insurance for low-income children. Senate Democrats, who are negotiating a new continuing resolution to fund the government after the current one expires next week, said that CHIP is a big priority in those talks.
“Certainly our kids deserve a day on the Senate floor to get this done,” Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said in a press conference Wednesday. Stabenow, one of several Democratic negotiators, said renewing CHIP for multiple years is a “top priority for me and our whole caucus.”
But she stopped short of saying she would not support a measure to fund the government if it does not have multi-year funding for CHIP. She said she didn’t want to issue an ultimatum since the talks are continuing.
“We are in the process of negotiating right now and it is not going to be helpful at this point to set bright lines in the sand,” she said.
Stabenow and other Democrats have lashed out at Republicans for letting CHIP languish since the program expired.
“This is in the hands now of one party. They have an obligation to get this done,” said Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa.
The House last month passed a bill that would reauthorize CHIP for five years and community health centers for two years. But that bill has gone nowhere in the Senate as Democrats have objected to funding offsets that include raising Medicare premiums on wealthy seniors and taking funding from an Obamacare disease prevention fund.
Current talks over a new spending deal are focused on another short-term spending bill that would extend into January. A source familiar with the matter told the Washington Examiner this week that there would likely not be a multi-year extension for CHIP but instead a stopgap measure to help states low on funds.
Other Democrats were skeptical about voting against a continuing resolution that doesn’t include long-term CHIP funding.
“I think it is a little too vague to start drawing ultimatums now,” said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. “I would like CHIP funded as soon as possible.”
Republicans have shown an interest in adding CHIP to the Dec. 22 CR.
“I wouldn’t oppose that,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.
“If I have anything to say about it, we are going to take good care of CHIP,” said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who co-sponsored the initial legislation.
When asked if that means CHIP will be included in the Dec. 22 spending bill, Hatch responded, “Don’t worry, we will get that done. I can’t tell you exactly when, but we will get that done.”
