[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 11 (Thursday, January 18, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S266]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                  CHIP

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, before I move to the bulk of my remarks, 
let me respond to the majority leader's comments on CHIP.
  First, let me say I am a good friend of Leader McConnell. We are 
getting along quite nicely. I know what a difficult job he has, but 
sometimes he says things that are just way over the top, and I have to 
respond, as this morning, to his remarks on CHIP.
  Of course, Democrats support CHIP, Leader McConnell. You know that 
darn well. If we were in charge of this Chamber, we would have never 
let it expire, but your majority did, Leader McConnell. Your majority 
let health insurance for 9 million children expire, even though there 
were bipartisan majorities in both Houses of Congress that would have 
extended it.
  Now it is placed on the CR. That is a bad idea for so many reasons 
that I will get to shortly, and Republicans pretend Democrats are 
against CHIP. It is outrageous.
  We are leaders of our parties, and we say certain things, but it 
seems the lack of straightforwardness, the lack of relying on any facts 
that is endemic at that end of Pennsylvania Avenue is seeping over to 
the majority leader's desk, and I regret that because what he said this 
morning about CHIP was outrageous. To suggest that Democrats are 
standing in the way of CHIP is drawing, Leader McConnell, on a deep 
well of bad faith.

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